Two no brainer movies in as many days!! Have just come home from seeing Aeon Flux, staring Charlize Theron.
There isn't really much to say about this film - it followed the time honoured Hollywood tradition: good guy/girl, bad guy, love interest, solve the mystery, save the day!
Nothing very much happened, and I don't really know the comic books so I'm not sure if they stayed true to the originals, so can't really comment there. There wasn't very much character development either - but do you really need that in an action film?? How much did we really know about John McClane in Die Hard?? With a running time of only 93 minutes there wasn't really anytime for deep and meaningfuls.
The film was set in 2417ish. Many years earlier most of the population of the world was wiped out by a virus, and the few survivors now live in a big bubble. Over many years an underground group of rebels gather strength and numbers and begin to challenge the long reigning leadership. Aeon Flux is their greatest weapon and is sent on a mission to challange the ruler. The mission quickly unfolds and a the delivery of a few key lines neatly explains 100s of years of back story.
Charlize Theron played a good action character . . . like a true professional
That's about it - I was moderately entertained and it did look quite good - so it gets a pass.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
the opening ceremony
Went to the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games last weekend.
What was that all about????
Dunno!!!!!
Looked good though :) So I guess if it was a movie it would get a pass cos it was highly visually stimulating.
But seriously - I didn't have a clue what was going on, but it was still and awesome night and it felt great being in the crowd at the MCG. The key point for me was the poem read by the little boy - if I had been paying attention when he was reading it, instead of turning my little flashing light on and off maybe I would have understood what on earth was going on! But those little flashing lights did look good when they were all on and you really can't go past the fireworks! They were spectacular!
All round great night and I'm really pleased that I went :)
What was that all about????
Dunno!!!!!
Looked good though :) So I guess if it was a movie it would get a pass cos it was highly visually stimulating.
But seriously - I didn't have a clue what was going on, but it was still and awesome night and it felt great being in the crowd at the MCG. The key point for me was the poem read by the little boy - if I had been paying attention when he was reading it, instead of turning my little flashing light on and off maybe I would have understood what on earth was going on! But those little flashing lights did look good when they were all on and you really can't go past the fireworks! They were spectacular!
All round great night and I'm really pleased that I went :)
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Karl Pilkington
I've been listening to the Ricky Gervais Show podcast - so funny, I love it!!
(www.rickygervais.com)
Anyways, at one stage Karl Pilkington made a comment that your head can only hold so much information, back when Adam and Eve were knocking about there was no history, and they didn’t have much to remember.
Now, I wonder if he might have made a good point. There is quite a lot to remember these days and you could be forgiven for forgetting some things – even if they are history-making, world changing events.
South Dakota has just passed a law banning abortions (although they still have the death penalty - no executions since 1976). Exceptions will be made if the pregnancy places the women's life at risk.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4780522.stm
No exceptions will be made if conception occurs as the result of incest or rape. When the bill was first proposed risk to the health of the mother was not an exception – which it was pre 1973.
Maybe because there is so much to remember these days the decisions made in 1973 and the reasons for them have been bumped from our collective consciousness for something more recent?? There is a lot going on these days!!
The timing of this new law coincides with a slight change in the balance of the US Supreme Court towards a more conservative approach. Obviously, abortion is still a controversial topic today, 33 years after the Roe v Wade decision, and admittedly there has never been a time when everyone was on side, but is this a decision that should really be made by the State??
I don't necessarily agree with the current situation where we could liken having an abortion to popping down to the GP to have an ugly wart removed from your thumb. It is a serious decision, not one that should be taken lightly and I don’t really think it should be a procedure that can be used to avoid facing the consequences of your actions.
On the other hand, there are many compelling reasons not to bring a child into this world – rape and incest aside, AIDS and poverty are two examples pretty high on my list, and this choice should be a women’s to make.
(www.rickygervais.com)
Anyways, at one stage Karl Pilkington made a comment that your head can only hold so much information, back when Adam and Eve were knocking about there was no history, and they didn’t have much to remember.
Now, I wonder if he might have made a good point. There is quite a lot to remember these days and you could be forgiven for forgetting some things – even if they are history-making, world changing events.
South Dakota has just passed a law banning abortions (although they still have the death penalty - no executions since 1976). Exceptions will be made if the pregnancy places the women's life at risk.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4780522.stm
No exceptions will be made if conception occurs as the result of incest or rape. When the bill was first proposed risk to the health of the mother was not an exception – which it was pre 1973.
Maybe because there is so much to remember these days the decisions made in 1973 and the reasons for them have been bumped from our collective consciousness for something more recent?? There is a lot going on these days!!
The timing of this new law coincides with a slight change in the balance of the US Supreme Court towards a more conservative approach. Obviously, abortion is still a controversial topic today, 33 years after the Roe v Wade decision, and admittedly there has never been a time when everyone was on side, but is this a decision that should really be made by the State??
I don't necessarily agree with the current situation where we could liken having an abortion to popping down to the GP to have an ugly wart removed from your thumb. It is a serious decision, not one that should be taken lightly and I don’t really think it should be a procedure that can be used to avoid facing the consequences of your actions.
On the other hand, there are many compelling reasons not to bring a child into this world – rape and incest aside, AIDS and poverty are two examples pretty high on my list, and this choice should be a women’s to make.
3D Chicken Little
I’ve not seen a 3D film at the cinema before so off I trundled to see the 10am, Sunday morning 3D screening of Chicken Little. I must admit I was a bit disappointed, which is strange because I wasn’t really expecting much of a story or anything original. I was hoping for loads of objects leaping off the screen at me so I could duck out of the way, but there was none of that – the film was just in 3D – I don’t think it would have looked very different seeing it as a normal film. Aside from the disappointment with the lack of 3D action the film gets a pass. The story was harmless, there was the occasional laugh (not the out loud kind – just the in your head ha ha ha kind). I was entertained, or at least I must have been because I wasn’t restless in my seat, and it did look good – none of that fancy animation that everyone raves about tho – no special water effects or shaggy Shrek hair. Final word – I wouldn’t recommend anyone rush out and see it at the cinema, if you’ve got kids just get the normal version on DVD.
Movies
I’ve decided to use my blog to keep a record of all the movies I go and see, for now only the ones I see at the cinema. Down the track I often find I can’t remember what I thought of a film and I’m pretty sure if my opinion about a certain topic changes drastically I’ll probably subconsciously change my thoughts about the film. Plus, I often wonder how many films I’ve seen in a year, particularly around Oscar time. I remember when I saw Crash when it first came out in Australia I thought it was great, I was entertained, it was thought provoking. Despite some critics reviews saying there was just too much coincidence in the film, I thought it’s just a movie, the director was presenting modern perceptions on the age old racism saga – the more the merrier I say! The matrix of connections between the characters was a simple and effective way of making the point in the space of a feature length film. Anyways, when Crash was nominated for (and won) best picture at this year’s Oscars, I was a little surprised . . . . . it had been so long since I had seen the film it had lost much its impact, I had only just seen Brokeback Mountain and it was receiving a lot of media attention so it was fresh in my mind. I, like many others assumed Brokeback Mountain would win best picture. Hence the decision to keep a record my thoughts about the films I’ve seen.
I think it is virtually impossible to compare, for example, an action with an art house film – films are either good or bad – rotten or fresh. I generally think films can be rated on three qualities: entertaining, thought provoking, and visually stimulating. A high enough score on one characteristic can earn a film a pass. For example, War of the Worlds (the Spielberg version) was mildly entertaining, and highly visually stimulating – so it gets a pass – but only just – that crappy Spielberg ending with son turning up safe and sound very nearly dropped it below the line. So until I think up another quality to rate films on each film will get an overall pass or fail and a score on each of the three qualities.
Right, that sounds pretty clear – should be simple.
I think it is virtually impossible to compare, for example, an action with an art house film – films are either good or bad – rotten or fresh. I generally think films can be rated on three qualities: entertaining, thought provoking, and visually stimulating. A high enough score on one characteristic can earn a film a pass. For example, War of the Worlds (the Spielberg version) was mildly entertaining, and highly visually stimulating – so it gets a pass – but only just – that crappy Spielberg ending with son turning up safe and sound very nearly dropped it below the line. So until I think up another quality to rate films on each film will get an overall pass or fail and a score on each of the three qualities.
Right, that sounds pretty clear – should be simple.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
on the train
so just quickly so I don't sound like a whinger.
Travelling on the train really isn't the most fun part of my day. I'm not a morning person and after work I just want to get home, and we all know how you sorta enter that bubble when you are on public transport - you become less aware that there are other people around - this has its advantages, it helps you block out weirdos and smelly people, but its not so good at blocking out jerks.
This morning when I hope on the train with my boyfriend (Reid) we had to stand (as per usual), and there was this guy leaning on one of the poles. So Reid, trying to be the gentleman, kindly asks this guy if he could move a little so I could hold onto the pole and he says "its holding me up" HUH??
. . . . . its holding me up??? what is that??? MOVE THE HELL OVER YOU JERK!
Of course Reid cracks it! How about the guy standing in the middle who has to steedy himself by holding onto the roof of the train???
Now, what’s the big deal stop whinging about silly little things? Really my point is why are people so inconsiderate of others, when we got on the train and the guy noticed we didn't have anything to hold onto why didn't he just move over out of courtesy, and then when we politely asked him to shimmy over a little he said NO! Rude arse!
just to finish - usually when I am travelling on my own I don't say anything, I just twister myself around to I can get a tiny grip on the pole with my finger tips and I always thought how can people be so unaware of their surroundings not to notice that I'm practically wrapped around them - well, maybe they do know that I'm there and they don't care. Its times like these I wish I believed in karma!
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