Summer Movies

It has been a long time since either of us have posted. I will take the responsibility for that. I have become weary of movies or rather I have been worn down by the mediocrity of what passes for a movie. I am so tired of walking out of the darkness and being completely unmoved by a film. I want to dance the dance of idiots because I thought the film was great or I want to do the stomp of a curmudgeon because the movie was horrible. I want to be moved either high or low by a film.

The summer was not all bad:

Julie and Julia


There was no way that I was going to go to yet another Nora Ephron movie. I swear that she speaks in "code" that no man can truly understand. She trades on all that I despise about the difference in men and women. NO MORE EPHRON FILMS EVER was my creed. So what was I doing in Julie and Julia? Well it is because my pal, my friend, Dolly doesn't like horror movies so Dolly and the lovely wife picked. Did I have a good time? Yes but I left the film hungry as will everyone else. Meryl Streep has gotten better as an actress and while I didn't completely lose myself in her Julia, I did find myself rejoicing in the obvious delight of the performance. Streep and Tucci are one of the most believable couples on screen. I delighted that a film could show that a couple can remain completely and totally in love for a lifetime. Amy Adams was sweet and charming. This is the first thing that I have liked her in. UGH! This review sounds almost like I am channeling my inner "chik". I think I will go eat some butter.

District 9


This is perhaps the best movie of the summer. One of the best sci-fi mainstream movies in a long while. I thought that perhaps P. Jackson was going to be safe as a producer but instead he produced this. A movie in the tradition of all great sci-fi movies. One that shows the human condition through a fun romp. There are all kinds of political connections that one can make about this movie. I will leave that to the viewer. It is at times a creepy sci-fi film and at other perhaps the most macho (but with brains) film of the season. I look forward to seeing what Blomkamp will do. I hope he stays in this tradition and show that genre movies have both brains and heart as well as cojones. I realize that I am vague but let us say it is in the tradition of "Night of the Living Dead" and the original "War of the Worlds". Bravo