Juno

I've been wanting to see this movie for awhile - I just never got to it until recently. I was hoping to see more of Rainn Wilson in the movie, though he played a really minor role - he was hardly in it. I thought this film would be another funny, yet quirky movie like Napoleon Dynamite - I was wrong.

It had it's funny moments and a bit of drama I didn't expect. Yet, overall I didn't really like the movie all that much. Thought the characters and the story wasn't that developed. At times, I was looking at my watch to see when the movie would end - not a good sign. I say "pass" on this one.



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Poll

How much do you spend on movie entertainment every month?
	Under $25.
	$25-$50.
	$50-$75
	$75-$100
	$100-$150
	$150-$200
	Over $200.
pollcode.com free polls

Cell Phone Reunion

This is such a funny video about the personalities behind people and their cell phones. I don't have an iPhone personally, though I've met people who think they are a bit "cooler" than most who have iPhones. Check it out!

Posted on College Humor:

"When Bluetooth, Car Phone and BlackBerry team up, iPhone gets what he deserves."



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Why Variety Is Wrong (and Right) About Film Blogs

Interesting article posted on Film School Rejects:

"Yesterday, Variety launched three salvos into the depths of the internet that resonated like the answer to a question nobody asked. “How I Got Blogged Down,” by Michael Fleming; “Tempest of the ‘Touldja!’ Journalists,” by Cynthia Littleton; and “Hollywood’s Blog Smog,” by the always-charming Peter Bart. I highly suggest you read them - or you can just let me poorly characterize them and stick with that.

Despite the three blatantly aimed at Nikki Finke - who must have thrown sand at all three writers on the playground last week or something - the articles do make some honest-to-god points about the gray area between traditional journalism and whole-sale blogging. The thrust of all three pieces is that the failings of bloggers and film sites are dragging down the fine profession of news-delivery. "

This begs the question - how objective is journalistic reporting with traditional publications? Isn't there some subjectivity that exists in journalism to a degree?

Movie Trailer - Freedom To Fascism

With tax season coming up, thought this may be an interesting movie to check out:

(Note: With all documentary movies, something to keep in mind is that there are always two sides to the story).

Aaron Russo: "I set out on a journey to make a film about whether or not there was a law requiring Americans to pay an income tax...or was the tax a fraud being perpetrated by the American government. This process of discovery brought something much more dangerous and frightening to my attention...now, I will bring it to yours."



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Poll

What's your favorite film genre?
	Action
	Comedy
	Documentary
	Drama
	Foreign
	Horror
	Sci Fi
pollcode.com free polls

Animated Short: Twouble With Twitters

Pretty cool and funny short about Twitter:

"A young man struggles against the pressure to Twitter his life away."

Enjoy!



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The Cost of Oil: Voices From the Arctic (Trailer)

Documentary short by Stone Soup Films:

(Note: I've been receiving submissions from people about their films, blogs, websites, etc. If you have something you'd like me to check out, feel free to send it in. Please do not send any file attachments - it's best if you just send me a link to your project(s). If I find it interesting/relevant, I will post it here. Thanks!)

"This film is an outline of the effects of offshore oil production in the Arctic Ocean just off the coast of northern Alaska. The native people have lived off the land for over 2000 years using the resources provided by the ocean. The plan for offshore oil development in this region has posed a huge threat to these people's way of life. Not only will oil drilling have an impact on their subsistence lifestyle, but their cultural heritage may also be at risk.

The film is a compilation of interviews with the native peoples living on the North Slope of Alaska and expert geophysicists, biologists, oil production specialists, environmentalists, linguists and ethnologists. These interviews have been added to footage taken from the arctic tundra of Alaska resulting in a powerful piece that shows some of the imminent danger that the world may face in drilling for oil in the dangerous Arctic Ocean."





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What Color Is Your Parachute?

I've just finished reading this book. Basically, it's a book geared towards helping you find out what you like to do, your skills and trying to fit it into a career path that works for you - it was a real eye opener for me.

I have read the book in the past. And, usually I always fall into the same categories - interpersonal skills. I know that I'm good at working with people and group situations. However, what I explored further was the subjects that I enjoy. I had to narrow it down to 3 subjects and here's what I came up with:

1. Film
2. Writing
3. Business

All three of these subjects are all subjects I like to read up on and study. So, the goal of the exercise was to figure out how to integrate all three of these subjects into a career - it's all very interesting. I also found out after doing more exercises that I fall into the occupation family of writers, artists, and entertainers. This makes sense since I've always liked to write and entertain - ever since I was a kid. I made a post here about my prior interest in film growing up.

After reading the book and completing the exercises, it really helped me to see and focus on things I enjoy doing. Film, writing, and business are all subjects I enjoy learning about and studying - it's all very interesting to me.

I have read about the business of film (see this prior post), but I'm not really sure if the traditional route is for me. I really value my time and freedom to express myself - sometimes it could be difficult in a traditional work setting.

In any case, I will continue to watch and study film. I see it all as a journey. I've had some requests from some people about reviews for equipment and books for beginner filmmakers - it's something I may be writing about in the future. If you have a request for a film topic you'd like to see, feel free to contact me.

Happy movie watching!

Poll

How do you rent your movies?
	I use Netflix. It's great!
	I still go to the local video store. I like seeing the movies I pick the same day!
	The local library - it's a great resource!
	I use Netflix and also go to the local video store.
	I stopped renting movies - I'd rather buy.
pollcode.com free polls

Pineapple Express

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This movie has a lot of famous people in it - think that's the primary draw of the movie. It had some funny parts to it. Though, it was slow and had too much dialogue - not enough action. Also, the way the story is told is not that great - it could have been a funny movie with the right storyteller and more action. I say pass on this one unless it's something you really want to see.

Movie Trailer - Star Trek

Posted on Movie Web:

"Paramount Pictures has just released a brief press release stating the brand new trailer for the upcoming Star Trek film, in theaters May 8, has broken the single-day record for a movie trailer download. Here's the press release below.

'The new trailer for J.J. Abrams' Star Trek had more than 1.8 million downloads during its first 24 hours on Apple.com and has gone on to become the most popular HD download ever on the site with more than five million downloads in its first five days. The trailer made its exclusive debut on Apple.com/trailers on March 6th giving fans a sneak peak of this summer's highly anticipated Star Trek for viewing on their Mac or PC, iPhone or iPod with video.'

Take a look at the record-breaking trailer below. Star Trek will be released in theaters nationwide on May 8."



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Sex and The City - The Book

Since I'm a big fan of the series, I decided to pick up and read the book. The characters are different and the focus is more on Carrie.

Like the show, there are different side stories and different people you meet. Miranda Hobbes shows up from time to time, but is not an attorney. She is a cable executive. Also, Samantha Jones makes some appearances, too. Though, she is not a PR executive - she is a movie producer. Charlotte York is hardly in it - I think she's depicted as a British woman. Stanford Blatch seems to be the only consistent character from the series. Though, he's portrayed as a screenwriter in the book.

When I first started reading the book, it seemed just like the show except there was no focus on the characters. It seemed like a bunch of stories about the dating mishaps in Manhattan. However, as I progressed through the book I found out more about Carrie and her relationship with Mr. Big. Then, it would go back into another side story and back to Carrie and Mr. Big. Like the show, it went back and forth between the stories.

What I found interesting about the book (warning - spoiler alert) was that it really did not have the typical "Cinderalla" type ending. It was very interesting. Here is an excerpt by author Candace Bushnell:

"This edition of Sex and the City contains two new chapters, which were written after the book was originally published. And so, at last, the book has a real ending, in which Carrie and Mr. Big break up. It's a bittersweet ending - not just the end of her dream of finding the proverbial Mr. Big - a man who doesen't really exist. If you read closely, you'll discover that even Mr. Big himself points out that he is a fantasy in Carrie's imagination, and that you can't love a fantasy. And so we leave Carrie to enter a new phase in her life when she understands that she will have to find herself (without a man), and in doing so will hopefully be able to find a relationship."

I really like Bushnell's themes about working women and their lives - it's all very interesting to me. I'm on to more of her books - just picked up Lipstick Jungle (now a series) and 4 Blondes.

Happy reading!

SXSW

I hear SXSW is starting soon. I've really been wanting to attend this festival for quite some time. Every year, it seems like something has come up with my schedule so I've never been. Heard it's a must for all film lovers. I would probably be more interested in attending the film events than the music events and of course, watching lots of movies!

If anyone gets out to SWSW, hope you have fun and enjoy the movies!

Carlos Mencia - The Best of Funny Is Funny

I first saw Carlos Mencia on Comedy Central. He's hilarious!

I like watching standup comics who focus on cultural issues. Some of my favorite comics include Margaret Cho, George Lopez, Russell Peters, Gabriel Iglesias, Rex Navarette, and Ron Josol. It's all very funny to me!

This DVD is pretty much most of his earlier stuff before he blew up and became big. It's really funny! It's all of his best material put together in clips. The whole time I was laughing. I really enjoyed this DVD.

If you're in the mood for standup comedy, definitely check this one out!

Poll

How much do you pay for a movie ticket in your town for an evening show?
	Pretty cheap at $5.00-$6.00 a ticket.
	It's still affordable at $6.00-$7.00 a ticket.
	I pay $7.00-$8.00 per ticket.
	It's getting up there at $8.00-$10.00 per ticket.
	Eeek! It's pretty high - it's over $10.00 a ticket.
	Costs of movie tickets are way too high in my area. I'd rather not say.
pollcode.com free polls

Harry Potter Spoof

Thought I'd share this with everyone. I'm a big fan of the series. I'm waiting for the new movie to come out. Check out the spoof!



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Movie Trailer - The Watchmen

I've heard a lot of hype about this movie. It looks interesting. Though, I haven't decided if I'm going to go see it at the movies or just wait for it to come out on video. Thoughts?



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Poll

How often do you go to the movies?
	I'm a dedicated moviegoer! I go to the movies every week.
	Definitely every 2 weeks.
	I go once a month.
	It's random. I only go to the movies when there's something good playing.
	Very rarely. Probably only once a year.
pollcode.com free polls

He's Just Not That Into You

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Ok, I have to admit - I really did want to see this movie based on the book. I'm into listening about crazy dating stories!

This is not a movie where you need to read the book first. I did read the book before watching the movie. But, that was before I even knew the movie was going to come out.

Basically, the movie followed the same format as the book using little excerpts to tell each story. It was interesting because all the characters had separate stories though they all came together at the end. I guess kind of like the movie, Crash, where you find out about each character and somehow they all know each other.

Overall, it was a funny movie - I know a lot of people in the dating scene can relate to it. Surprisingly, there were some very serious moments in the movie especially with Jennifer Connelly's character.

One thing, I thought they put too much of the movie in the trailer (hate when that happens!). When you're watching the movie, it kind of ruins the funny parts because you've already seen them in the trailer - I knew when they would come up and anticipated them coming.

So, is this a movie to see with a significant other? I think it's ok - it's not like Sex and The City - The Movie which is definitely a movie to see with the girls.

If you're in the mood for a dating, comedy type movie, check this one out!

Seven Pounds

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At first, I wasn't quite sure what to think about this movie. It's one of those films where everything comes together at the end - kind of like Memento. It does not follow the traditional formula of how movies are shown - it's kind of unique in a way.

It was a bit slow at first. But, it kept me watching and wanting to find out more - it's very mysterious as you are wondering why Will Smith's character acts the way he does and how the pieces of the puzzle come together. Little by little, things are revealed in the movie. Though, it's not until the end where you find out how everything fits.

The movie is more of a drama, some comedy parts. There's not much action until the end. Though, it tells a very heart warming story.

If you're in the mood for drama and enjoy movies where you have to figure out how the film comes together, this movie is for you.