4 posts tagged “ds”
.:What I'm Watching:.
.:What I'm Reading:.
.:What I'm Playing:.
.:What I'm Watching:.
300. [Zack Snyder directs this faithful adaptation of Frank Miller's (Sin City) graphic novel about the storied Battle of Thermopylae, a conflict that pitted the ancient Greeks against the Persians in 480 B.C. The film, which blends live-action shots with virtual backgrounds to capture Miller's original vision, co-stars Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Vincent Regan, Rodrigo Santoro and Dominic West. ~netflix] watched it again last friday with LE and lisa... and man, it was even better than the first time. hehe... actually, though i really did forget how AWESOME it looked. 5 out of 5 stars. for sure.
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead. [The
perfect crime goes horribly wrong when Andy and Hank (Philip Seymour
Hoffman and Ethan Hawke) botch a robbery of their parents' jewelry
store in this wrenching drama from legendary filmmaker Sidney Lumet,
who was 82 when he directed the film. Albert Finney and Rosemary Harris
co-star as the unsuspecting parents, while Marisa Tomei plays Gina, who
cheats on her husband, Andy, with Hank. ~netflix] the first of 3
philip seymour hoffman movies i watched. seriously. guess it was PSH week or something... it was all right. some flaws in it and it wasn't great, but
it was watchable. steve thought the best parts of the movie were when
marisa tomei was topless. haha! 3 stars.
- Bloodrayne. [A
half-human, half vampire sets out to destroy her vampire king father in
this Gothic horror film based on the video game. Bloodthirsty Lord
Kagan (Ben Kingsley) wants his daughter to become a full-fledged vampiress, but fanged femme fatale Rayne (Kristanna Loken) denounces her father's legacy and instead joins up with a trio of vampire hunters (Michael Madsen, Michelle Rodriguez and Matt Davis). Billy Zane and Udo Kier co-star. ~netflix] okay... i gave it 2 out of 5 stars... i would've given it 2.5 stars if
i could've, but i couldn't. so i rounded down... because, well, it had
michelle rodriguez in it. and anytime michelle rodriguez is involved
with anything, i have to round down. sorry. i can't stand her. i want
to kick her ass myself. heh. anyway... hrm... the thing is... they were
just being gory just to ... BE GORY. the movie just wasn't good. but if
you go into the movie expecting ABSOLUTELY NOTHING it's tolerable. and
just so you know, i must be a glutton for punishment because guess what
i just added to my queue? BLOODRAYNE 2. yes. the sequel. what is WRONG
with me???
Charlie Wilson's War. [Texas congressman Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks) sets a series of earth-shaking events in motion when he conspires with a rogue CIA operative (Philip Seymour Hoffman, in an Oscar-nominated role) to aid Afghan mujahedeen rebels in their fight against the Soviet Red Army. Julia Roberts, Emily Blunt and Amy Adams co-star in this fact-based political thriller directed by Mike Nichols and based on George Crile's 2003 book by the same name. ~netflix] and here's PSH movie #2. hey, tom hanks didn't annoy the living crap out of me! the last movie i saw with him in it was... i think The Terminal or some other overrated piece of crap. anyway, i swore to myself i'd never watch another movie with him in it. i guess i lied to myself. anyway, it's pretty good. can't wait to get my next week's new release... the documentary on the REAL story of charlie wilson's war. heh. i'll give it 4 stars. why not? i'm feeling generous today...
- Days of Being Wild. [After learning that the woman who raised him is not his mother, Yuddy (Leslie Cheung) acts out by manipulating two women -- quiet Su Lizhen (Maggie Cheung) and glamorous Mimi (Carina Lau). Su Lizhen eventually catches the eye of Tide (Andy Lau), while Yuddy's friend Zeb (Jacky Cheung) falls for Mimi. Meanwhile, Yuddy learns the identity of his birth mother and heads off to find her. This film won multiple awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards. ~netflix] what the hell? and why was tony leung in there for the last minute. i have no idea what the hell happened in this movie. it's like in the last 5 minutes wong kar wai was like, "oh, shit! my movie's already 1.5 hours long. i'd better wrap it up!" and then just flashed scenes of each person's ending or something. it was just... weird. and i spent most of my time confused. but dude, maggie looks about the same, 20 years later. actually, i think she looks better NOW than 20 years ago! i'm giving this bitch 2 out of 5 stars. although like, EVERYONE on netflix was totally all over wong kar wai's nuts saying how TOTALLY WONDERFUL it was. whatevah. i was unimpressed.
Juno. [Facing an unplanned pregnancy, teenage Juno (Ellen Page) devises a plan to locate the proverbial perfect parents to adopt her baby. But the seemingly ideal couple Juno chooses still has some growing up to do. Now, everyone in Juno's world must do a little soul-searching. Michael Cera co-stars while Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner play the pair of affluent yuppies anxious for a child in this offbeat coming-of-age comedy, which won the 2008 Oscar for Best Original ~netflix] i really liked it. it was really cute. and i adore ellen page. (have you watched Hard Candy? if you haven't, you really, really should. awesome movie and ellen page and patrick wilson are AWESOME in it.) yes, there were annoying moments, but overall, i thought it was cute and just really good. also, i have that song stuck in my head. you know the one... "anyone else but you." the one at the end. yeah. totally stuck in my head. actually, i like the ellen page/michael cera version better than the moldy peaches version. i was afraid that all the hype would make me not like the movie, but i still liked it. and michael cera was awesome. i love that guy. btw, i read that the hamburger phone is identical to one that diablo cody had as a teenager. hehe. 4 outta 5.
Manda Bala: Send a Bullet. [Documentarian
Jason Kohn aims his lens at Brazil, widely considered one of the
world's most corrupt and violent nations, to capture the ways in which
people make a living -- and try to stay alive. Subjects include a
businessman who invests in bulletproofing his cars; a politician who
runs a suspiciously lucrative frog farm; and a plastic surgeon who
specializes in the reconstruction of mutilated ears. In 2007, this film
won the Documentary Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. ~netflix] it
was kind of graphic in parts. it's heartbreaking to see kids playing at
"kidnapping." they are all laughing and playing... but they're
pretending to chop off ears and stuff. it's... insane, but kidnapping
is just such a regular part of life there. 4 out of 5 stars.
- Reservation Road. [The lives of Ethan (Joaquin Phoenix) and his wife, Grace (Jennifer Connelly), are thrown into chaos after their 10-year-old son is killed in a hit-and-run accident. When the case stalls, Ethan makes it his mission to hunt down and punish the person responsible. Violence, revenge and justice collide head on when Ethan finally finds the man who killed his son. Mark Ruffalo co-stars. ~netflix] okay. first of all, it starts out with this scene of a children's orchestra and they are AWESOME. yeah, RIGHT. please. i just saw a children's orchestra and they were older than these kids on the screen and they weren't as nearly as good. it's like they dubbed over a real orchestra over these kids. boo! they should've just let them suck like real children orchestras. heh. mark ruffalo and joaquin phoenix were awesome, though. the story was not so good, though. i'll still give it 3 outta 5 stars, though. because i have a crush on mark ruffalo. heh.
The Savages. [Carrying the emotional scars of an abusive childhood, siblings Wendy Savage (Laura Linney, in an Oscar-nominated role), a long-aspiring playwright, and Jon Savage (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a professor of drama, now face the challenge of caring for their ailing elderly father, Lenny (Philip Bosco), despite their emotional disconnect from him and each other. Tamara Jenkins (Slums of Beverly Hills) wrote and directed this indie drama. ~netflix] and PSH movie #3. i thought it was really good. i liked it, anyway. i LOVE me some laura linney and she and PSH played just these perfectly flawed creatures. 3.5 stars, but i'll round up to 4.
.:What Mia's Watching:.
Rupert the Bear: Rupert and the Snowglobe. mia looooves rupert bear. unfortunately, he's not available here in the states. he's a little bear and his friends use magic and i don't know. it's cute. and the theme song sure is catchy. i really don't know why he's not here in the states. he's freakin' adorable. :) 5 stars!
Wonder Pets: Save the Beetles. [This edition of the popular Nick Jr. series, set to an original score,
follows the escapades of Ming-Ming Duckling, Turtle Tuck and Linny the
guinea pig as they travel to Liverpool, England, to free a band of
beetles from a yellowish submarine. Bonus episodes include the gang's
adventurous, fun-filled rescues of a variety of animals around the
world, including a platypus, a sheep and even a chameleon. ~netflix]
mia loves the wonder pets. the first episode they save a musical group,
"The Beetles." yes. and they're stuck in their "yellowish submarine."
hehe. it's cute. the wonder pets episodes are basically the same. they
use teamwork to save an animal. the only difference is usually where
they go to save the animal and what animal they're saving. i'm giving
this particular DVD 5 stars for the ability to keep my child
entertained. hehe.
.:What I'm Playing:.
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories.
[DS] this particular game is set between the first and second kingdom hearts
game. so it's kinda like kingdom hearts 1.5. hehe. anyway, i totally
got me a bad case of the carpal tunnel playing this. heh. it's fun,
although i'm having a bit of a rough time getting used to the "cards"
based fighting... which is a different card-based fighting than the
chocobo game. why can't they just make it all the same? sheesh. hehe.
the graphics are pretty good for being for the GB advance. and it's
just been fun. i have been kinda sucking on it, but i think i'll get
better... as soon as my wrist does. heh.
Ashes to Ashes. [after being shot, alex drake wakes to find herself in 1981.] okay. that's my short ass synopsis. hehe. have you watched Life on Mars? it's basically the same thing, but instead of being stuck in the 70s, she's stuck in the 80s. anyway, it might sound weird or hokey, but it's really good. she's actually better than sam (who was in Life on Mars). i love the chemistry between gene hunt and alex drake. i love keeley hawes. i loved her in MI-5 and i love her in this show, too. bbc has the best shows ever! :D
The Business of Being Born. [Director Abby Epstein's controversial documentary takes a hard look at America's maternity care system, juxtaposing hospital deliveries against the growing popularity of at-home, natural childbirths that many expectant parents are now opting for. Former talk show host Ricki Lake was inspired to produce this compelling exposé after a dissatisfying birthing experience with her first child left her with many unanswered questions. ~netflix] gosh, every time i saw a baby being born, my eyes watered. stupid motherhood! makes me all emotional. heh. believe it or not, i didn't even cry when my OWN child was born. sheesh. anyway, i think it's important for any woman to watch, whether she's had a child or is thinking of having a child... maybe even watch it as a couple if you are expecting a child... actually, even if you think you're not going to have children, you may change your mind when you're older, so maybe keep it in mind for when you actually DO become pregnant. anyway, i thought it was really interesting... and if god forbid i should become pregnant again, i might actually look into getting a midwife instead of going to the hospital. it sounds so granola, but i actually might... although, i sure did love that epidural... hehe.
Darkon. [Ordinary folks trade in their street clothes for medieval costumes, faux weaponry and full-contact battles in Andrew Neel and Luke Meyer's documentary about Darkon, a group that acts out fantasy war games based on complex rules and customs. Neel and Meyer capture the drama as padded swords clash, armies advance and a ruler crosses the line, while off the battlefield, participants open up about what keeps them coming back for more. ~netflix] if these people put in half as much energy into something worthwhile as they do into darkon, they could seriously make some big changes in their community. okay, to be fair, to them darkon IS worthwhile... but i was talking about social changes, etc. it was really fascinating. it was like World of Warcraft, but not playing behind a computer screen. it was people playing it out in real life.
Fall From Grace. [For years, the Rev. Fred Phelps and his Westboro Baptist Church have preached a message of intolerance and hatred, aimed at homosexuals. This compelling documentary shines a spotlight on Phelps and his followers, widely condemned as a hate group. K. Ryan Jones's debut takes a hard look a church that claims that everything from the poor economy to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks can be tied to God's wrath over so-called sexual deviance. ~netflix] wow. it was really hard to watch such hate and anger. the documentary itself was really good. but the phelps family... my god. they are SO the opposite of what christians should be... in my opinion, anyway... or who knows. maybe they are on the fast track to heaven and every other pastor and church that have compassion and love are all going to hell. who knows...
Family Guy: Blue Harvest. [A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, the cast of "Family Guy" stepped into the plot of Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope -- and the result is this hourlong epic that kicked off the show's sixth season. When Princess Leia (Lois) is captured by Darth Vader (Stewie), Luke (Chris) risks his life to save her. Aiding him on his quest are Chewbacca (Brian), a well-spoken Wookiee, and Han Solo (Peter), a bumbling spice smuggler. ~netflix] i don't watch family guy because, well, i'll be honest... i think it totally blows. but this was pretty funny.
- Girls Rock! [This documentary gives new meaning to the phrase "girls rock" by tracking four budding artists on their respective musical journeys at an all-girls rock 'n' roll camp, where they learn how to write songs, play instruments and to just be themselves. Women rock musicians are on hand to teach the girls the practicalities of being a rock chick, lessons they take to heart while working toward their end-of-camp concert. ~netflix] while the documentary itself wasn't that great, i thought it was really interesting to see the girls morph from insecure girls to powerful ones. really. also, the idea of an all-girls rock camp is awesome. i want mia to go. hehe. it's pretty amazing to see what these girls come up with in 5 days. some of these girls have never even picked up an instrument before and they're totally rocking out. it's pretty effin' cool. also, there's one korean girl from like, oklahoma or something. and at the time this documentary was made, she was 15. she is amazingly articulate. i was surprised. she seemed so down to earth and cool... and when you first see her you don't think of her as being conventionally cute, but by the end of the film, she is just absolutely darling.
The Life of Mammals, Volume 1. [Naturalist David Attenborough hosts this fascinating documentary about the earth's most diverse species, from the tiny pygmy shrew to the gargantuan blue whale. Humans -- who are mammals, of course -- also come under scrutiny in this series, which may be Attenborough's finest. ~netflix] oh, i really like this series. it's not as good as the Planet Earth series, but it's still fascinating to watch.
- Things We Lost in the Fire. [Attempting to piece her life back together after losing her husband (David Duchovny) in a tragic incident, grieving widow Audrey (Halle Berry) turns to an unlikely ally: her husband's childhood friend Jerry (Benicio Del Toro), an emotionally wrecked heroin addict. As the troubled two struggle to bear their heavy respective burdens, by leaning on each other, they discover they possess unexpected resources in this moving drama. ~netflix] pretty bad. i was expecting bad but hoping for the best. guess i shouldn't have hoped. it was totally cheesy and unrealistic. it was melodrama at its finest. by finest, of course, i mean worst. and dude, is it me or... does halle berry not know how to act? seriously. for some reason, i have it in my head that she is a good actress, but every time i get a movie with her in it, i want to claw my eyes out. or beat her head in. either option would work for me. benicio del toro is, of course, awesome. and he is just THAT much more awesome because he's acting alongside berry. and berry is awful. ugh.
.:What Mia's Watching:.
The Backyardigans: Tale of the Mighty Knights. mia loves this one already. we just got it in the mail yesterday and we let her watch the first episode (which is Tale of the Might Knights) and OMG she was going nuts for it! she really liked the dragon... she kept reaching out for him, wanting to hug him. hehe. silly girl.
Oswald: On-the-Go Oswald. [Nickelodeon's animated children's series about a blue octopus, his pet dog Weenie and his friends Henry the penguin and Daisy the flower is gentle fun for toddlers. This video contains the episodes "Daisy and the Duckling," "The Double Date," "Chasing the Ice Cream Truck," "The Camping Trip," "Henry Needs a Haircut," "Flippy the Fish," "A Sticky Situation" and "Tutti-Frutti Pie." ~netflix] i kinda like it. i wasn't so fond of it after the first episode, but it's growing on me. it's definitely for toddlers... i don't think anyone over the age of 5 would really enjoy it. well, i did, but you know. i am like a kid, so there you have it. hehe.
Rupert the Bear: Rupert and the Giant Egg Race. this isn't the old cartoon. this is all new in all its CGI brilliance. it's SO cute. unfortunately, it's not available in the US. and you have to have either a region free dvd player or a dvd decrypter of some sort in order to watch it. anyway, it's a really cute show. i don't know why they don't have it here in the US. you only need to hear the theme song once to get it stuck in your head for days. hehe.
.:What I'm Listening To:
Ella Fitzgerald: Sunshine of Your Love. while not my favorite album of hers, it certainly was interesting. basically covering tunes you would never expect her to cover. her voice sure was lovely, though.
.:What I'm Playing:.
Professor Layton and the Curious Village. [DS] i pretty much kicked this game's ass! hehe. it was so much fun and i'm really looking forward to the 2nd and 3rd installments.
Cooking Mama 2. [DS] i preferred the food they had in the first cooking mama. they were just more... i dunno... normal foods... and i actually picked up some cooking tips from them! this one has shit i'd never make. like escargot. i mean, come on. honestly? i will NEVER make it. i know i won't. hehe. it's still lots of fun. there are more options to the gameplay, also.
.:What I'm Watching:.
Equilibrium. [In a futuristic world, a strict regime has eliminated war by suppressing emotions: Books, art and music are strictly forbidden, and feeling is a crime punishable by death -- a rule that's enforced by feeding the denizens a mood-limiting drug. John Preston (Christian Bale) is a top government official responsible for destroying those who resist the rules. But when he misses a dose of his own medication, he experiences a pang of conscience. ~netflix] oh so good. christian bale is AWESOME. and i saw two guys from prison break in the movie. heh. anyway, it was REALLY good. i really liked it. and christian bale kicks ass. love love love him.
The Invasion. [In the process of researching a mysterious alien epidemic that's changing the nature of human behavior, a Washington, D.C., psychiatrist (Nicole Kidman) learns that her son (Jackson Bond) may be the planet's only hope for survival. Daniel Craig, Jeremy Northam and Veronica Cartwright are among the supporting cast in director Oliver Hirschbiegel's supernatural thriller tinged with political undercurrents. ~netflix] blah. what a waste of daniel craig. he didn't even look semi-attractive in it. nicole kidman was just annoying. and yeah. the movie was just altogether not good. it was kind of exciting because of all of the running... running makes everything more exciting. hehe. but other than that, it had nothing. really.
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. [When Steve Wiebe got laid off, he turned to the classic arcade game Donkey Kong for solace; soon, he decided to challenge Billy Mitchell's long-standing record score. So began the bitter rivalry that lies at the heart of this curiously compelling documentary. Providing a history of competitive video gaming and a look at some of the key players, The King of Kong is at its best when revealing just how far Mitchell will go to retain his crown. ~netflix] wow. i was really impressed with how good it was. i don't know if it's the way the director shot it or what, but steve wiebe was just so normal and so likeable and the billy mitchell just came across as a total douchebag. i wonder if he's really a total douche in real life or if the director just put in the most a-hole clips of him... ugh. thinking about him now, i STILL hate that guy. heh.
Super Troopers. [Bored, occasionally high and always highly ineffective Vermont state troopers Mac (Steve Lemme), Thorny (Jay Chandrasekhar, who also directed), Foster (Paul Stoter) and Rabbit (Erik Stohlanske) must prove their worth to Governor Jessman (Lynda Carter) -- or lose their jobs. After stumbling on a drug smuggling ring, they plan to make a high-profile bust, but the rival police of Earlville are out to steal the glory in this irreverent comedy. ~netflix] heh. that was pretty funny, meow. heh. when larry and joe were here, they INSISTED that we watch this. i'm so glad i did. it was a funny, funny movie... oh, and the netflix synopsis makes it sound like lynda carter's in this movie for more than 5 minutes, but she's really not. heh.
Torchwood, Season 1. [Policewoman Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles) stumbles upon a secret organization known as Torchwood. Led by the mysterious Capt. Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), the clandestine group monitors alien activity on Earth, which is more prevalent than anyone realizes. Cooper soon joins Harkness, tech expert Toshiko Sato (Naoko Mori) and medic Owen Harper (Burn Gorman) in their quest to protect Earth from invasion in this series spun off from "Doctor Who." ~netflix] oh, it's REALLY good. i mean REALLY good. even though it's a spin-off of doctor who, it's got a totally different feel to it. it's definitely darker and sexier. oh, and when i first saw gwen cooper, i giggled a little to myself because she has this ginormous gap between her front teeth, but i swear, after the first few minutes, i hardly even noticed it. now i totally think it's endearing. i hope she never gets that fixed. really! heh. and i love captain jack harkness. :D also fun fact! "torchwood" is an anagram of "doctor who." :D
.:What I'm Listening To:.
Depeche Mode: Some Great Reward. i got the remastered version with the extra DVD and stuff from julie and dennis for my birthday :D [thanks, julie!] i love this album. and i love depeche mode.
.:What I'm Playing:.
Meteos: Disney Magic. [DS] it's a little confusing. i'm not really sure what i'm doing, but it's kinda fun. i'm just matching stuff up and i guess i'm doing it right. i think. oh well. whatever. i like looking at all of the disney stuff. heh.
