3 Movies cheap

or 3 cheap movies, well that's not totally fair, one of them was quite good.

Let's review them in order.

Lords of Dogtown
Really quite good. Gritty portrayal of the rise of skateboarding from the CA surf community to the empty pools in rich neighborhoods. A story of what it means to grow up loving something, and the price of being the best at it. While it doesn't leave a lasting impression, the movie touches a lot of places. How parents influence us, how we misinterpret others, how easily we can be misled, forget what matters, get lost. And in the end, if we just hold on, we make it out ok, maybe not like we pictured it, but maybe somehow, better.

The movie shows a seedy side without glorifying it, and without hiding it, the impact of drugs and alcohol, and greed. And somehow I learned about the skateboard movement. It's like watching classic football or basketball. It was so much simpler and slower than today's version. Skating sure has evolved from sliding turns on the ground.

A worthy watch, like a modern urban Stand By Me. And I couldn't help but be a little jealous, of how much they loved what they did. And I can't skate worth a crap.

Bewitched
Nicle Kidman was adorable. That's really about it. Will Farrel was ok, atleast he was bearable once he fell for the witch. I personally would LOVE to marry a witch like Samantha, or Nicole Kidman. I did laugh once or twice. I liked that she developed some great female friends to support her. I wouldn't watch it again unless I had to.

Stealth
I didn't even want to rent this one it looked so hokey. But I did because I feel responsible to see just about every movie I can. And for most of the movie it earned it's horrid reputation. Shallow, worn out, and blah. But there were a few elements to the movie that atleast kept the pilot's light lit, pardon the pun ;)

Talon one (Josh Lucas) was in love with Talon 2 (Jessica Beal) and he was onviosuly terrified of commitment. Makes sense a pilot enjoys his independence, but of course even he by the end of the movie knew his success depended on his wing man. Jamie Foxx was dull in the movie, except when he tried to talk the synthetic intelligence plane down, that was quality. Then he made a boo boo and blew himself up.

Another element I loved, teamwork. It was the key ingredient that saved the day and made a crazy plane a hero. So what if the movie was inplausible, the verbage was mundane, and the plot was stale? I'm a sucker for teamwork, making hard decisions, and love winning in the end.

House of "D" (lame name) I'd call it "Running back"

Or Erykah does New York.
The film looks like and Indie right from the welcome screen. What do they call that screen in the biz i wonder?
David Duchovny is Tom Warshaw, an "american artist in Paris" He has a secret. And you're thinking "who doesn't?". Well his secret, is an explanation, of why, he is late, on his son's 13th birthday, and why he is who he is, still not grown up, since the day he turned 13.

Living in new york, his momma was a pill popping nurse, his dad had passed away from cancer. I know the feeling of having a sad momma. He would hide under her bed and paint pictures. I just wrote mine a few letters.

Robin Williams plays the retard (movie's description). Pappas-and his daddy is an alcoholic whose momma drunkenly stumbled in front of a car and died. His pops is summed up in his wise was "you can't drink, you don't drive. when you can drive, then you can drink."

Tommy and Pappas ride through Greenwich village delivering meat. They just walk in and drop the bags off (1970's) and collect the fee and tips. The tips they bury (barry?) in front of the house of D , a detention center for women.

That's when Erykah Badu takes over. And yes she does sing. I know why the caged bird sings, she wants a dime bag... "Hey Lady" becomes yooung tommy's relationship advisor. "Girls like boys who dance, even if they dance bad, so long as they try."

So tommy has a new girl (melissa), money saved, great frind in Pappas, his mom is doing ok, school is great, he even gets a kiss!

And everything was going so well...

"that's not bullshit, that's love!"

We should all have an inmate sage and a retard for a friend.

Tommy kinda chooses the girl over the friend, and Pappas makes a bad choice, or something, and Tommy takes the rap. Next thing you know, mom is in serious condition, melissa is suddenly mia, some creepy cousins come to visit, Lasy (bernadette) tells him to run (not like forest) and after stealing from an old lady!
He does.

Tommy runs.
"How many sleeps till you come back?" "promise me you'll do good things"
We should all be compelled to make such a promise.

So back to the present. Tom tells us he is a coward, he avoided his past. He had wanted wanted to share with his wife, but he waited so long, he thought his wife would leave him. she left him anyway. "That's what we in America call...irony"
Tommy goes back to NY. He visits Bernadette and Pappas.

Do you forgive me pappas? "Yes...for what?"
We should all be so quick to forgive our friends.

The real meat of the story:
Erykah Badu is awesome. Pappas is special not retarded. French people are eavesdroppers.
Mean people might be nicer when they are mostly dead. The move scenery is sparse but beautiful. The pimp is weak and gratuitous. Tommy cries like a wuss. This move has some strong women in it. Don't hold on to stuff you hide from the past. Why did Bernadette want Tommy to run?
"A man is a man only when he can be himself wherever he is"

Tommy as an adult obviously has no friends-but he found a good wife, a good kid, and himself. I only wish life was so hard and so wonderful as House of D.

We are simple creatures.

Yet for simple creatures we have an endless yearning for answers. We wage war, betray those we love, and sell our souls and to what end?

The Kingdom of Heaven
Certainly one of my new all time favorites. Epic in a way that touches the heart more than Hobbits and Wizards and just barely more than Gladiators and Slaves in Rome. Ridley certainly built on the best of Gladiator, unvieling the story of Jersualem embodied in Balian, a man in search of himself, finds himself mired in politics and religion, and stands as just a man for men.

As a sucker for hero movies, this one certainly yanks on my guts. Balian's wife had just committed suicide when she lost her child in birth. A father he had never known that same day comes to ask his forgiveness, and he murders who priest who speaks against his wife. Hell of a day. His father is a Lord, a great man and servant of teh king of Jerusalalem. He dies defending Balian from the bishops men. He makes Balian a night, and Lord in his passing, charges him with doing right, serving the king, the people, and the weak.

Balian earns the respect of his enemies with his spirit, his sword, and his mercy. The Christians and the Muslims have a tenuous relationship, one that politics is soon to unravel. While Balian serves the king, a dying leper played by ed norton, the templars are provoking a war that would soon engulf them all.

At the King's passing, his sister reluctantly and foolishly chooses her husband, a templar, as King. So begins the epic battle. As the King and his templar army are slaughtered by the Muslim horde, Balian prepares to defend the people in the "castle". He knights those able to fight, and when asked if doing so makes them better fighters, he replies. "Yes."

When he holds the muslims back after days of bloody battle, they agree to terms. He would surrender the city for the safe passage of all the people. The honorable muslim king offers these terms, with respect for Balian, his cultures, beliefs, and a distatse for more killing.

Balian is most certainly a man of great character, who finds that those with great power, political or religious, yield it for themselves. Instead Balian, yields his authority, to be a man. His place with God, still in question. And as any movie with religious themes will do, it leaves us with questions too.

Well done, scinematic, epic, beautiful.

Hazzard County Heroes

Well, as easy as it would be to pan this movie, somehow when it's all said and done, it made me smile.

It was cute. Simple, lame, stupid...and cute. And I don't just mean Jessica. Really she tried to hard to be sexy and ended up a little bit scary. You'd never know if she was really being nice or setting you up for a knee to the groin.

I really did like a few elements of the movie.
General Lee was pretty sweet.
Gratuitous noodie scenes of college girls.

and in a real hero kinda way, the duke boys were always up to the challenge. They always rose to the occasion. They never backed down, didn't even consider it. I kinda like their manner-nothing would ever stop them or curb their enthusiasm.

The Duke family was very direct. They were not afraid to tell people how they felt. When forces rose up against them they spoke up! Certain amount of courage and spark for that to occur, and family.

They were all very loyal to each other, and to their friends, who seemed like family. Cooter and that guy with the armadillo helmet...

That loyalty, knowing they could count on each other no matter what, must have been one of the big reasons they were so fearless. If you've ever trusted your life to people around you, you'll understand how that dynamic works.

But let's get back to reality here. This was some pretty poor acting. A hodge podge of characters, it was rough at times, like the first 2/3 of the movie. And the boys, they were a little too reckless. The original Bo and Luke had a bit more class. I don't remember them hitting each other with a phone book in the face? But,there was still the sense, that the Dukes would always end up on the right side of the fence.

The outtakes at the end really sealed the deal. Any movie that leaves me smiling when its over is all right in my blog.

Kong is Long

I saw King Kong. Did you know they kill him in the end? Really sad st...ooops, maybe you didn't know. Sorry if I spoiled it. Geesh that movie is long. But really well done. Not as engrossing as the LOTR movies, but certainly a brilliant 3.5 hours.

Beauty killed the beast, not quite, greed killed the beast. In fact, greed was the beast, Kong was just a cool Ape.

Ann was a wierdo, and in some great shape. Her affinity for monkey loving was a little creepy. Kong was really within his rights to squish her at anytime. I really don't quite get why he didn't? She wasn't that enthralling. The crazy village people danced and he didnt keep them for pets.

Speaking of creepy, this movie had some of the creepiest scenes ever, the bug scenes will make you squirm in your seat. And the guy who talks about boobies is pretty creepy too. But really, the native people were so hideous, there is no way they procreate. Unles they pull a Nip/Tuck and use a paper bag. Nah, it would take more than that...

The movie Director, played by Jack Black, is quite pursuasive and has the best lines in the movie. "Defeat only lasts a moment!" Hayes said some pretty crazy stuff and Jack was all gooshy for a playwright. But Carl mixed some decent and funny lines in with the other blah lines. "all you had to do was look her in the eyes and lie!"

Carl (JB) was the only really believeable character. The rest were campy and cheesy. Except Ms Darrow, she was sad and lame and cool all at the same time. I have known a number of women just like that, unable to escape whatever cage they locked themselvs in, yet still smiling and performing for the crowds.

When Kong is unveiled in the theater in New York, the costumes and music for the "fake" natives are the same used for the "real" natives in the 1933 original.

King Kong's roar is a lion's roar played backwards at half speed.

Fever Pitch

Loved it. Just because i'm too tired to blah blah about doesn't mean anything. Funny, sweet, sporty. No, not me the movie. See it with someone you want to love.

Coach Carter

My movie instincts are pretty good. And so was this movie. My new plan is to take notes as I watch and share those on my blog.

Great soundtrack.

"Why you always acting hard?"

Great men have great wives

The coach chose to coach a team instead of coaching his son, his son chose to leave his school to be coached by his dad.

Coach Carter made the players sign contract. He was teaching them discipline and integrity.

"growing up means making your own choices, and learning to live with the consequences."

The movie depicted a culture of conflict. Growing up in a community were survival means perpetuating the cycle of not being educated.

young people are always in a hurry-as we get older we tend to take our time.

A "team" UNITED is a powerful force to be reckoned with.

Winning is "earned"

The signs the fans held at games were so lame. It was funny.

Wouldn't we choose to be part of something great if we could?

Watching the community try to oust the coach we the viewers must have been shocked by their behaviour. But that easily could have been us at that hearing. Standing on the wrong side, with the wrong information.

The Chains the coach put on the gym doors seemed very symbolic. The ties of the black culture to athletics, to be treated as, to feeling less than, and being free being more about growing the self then doing what youw ant to do.

Check out the Nelson Mandela quote.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone. And as we let our light shine, We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."-Nelson Mandela's Inaugural Address