Movie Recommendations / Reviews (Str8, Non-Pxxn) (Compiled)

[Andy@Tokyo]

erection day when u got all the figurings can post me the photos or not?

here they dont have such promotion :swear:

[erection day]

I can scan the promotional page from the Burger King menu slip tomorrow for you to see the 'toys'. In return, please email me a naked pix of yourself. Thanks in advance.

[Andy@Tokyo]

erection OOi..... nevermind.. i send u other person naked pics u also dont know wat.

[oralb]

John Rambo teaser trailer, or more commonly known as Rambo 4.

after watching the 3 minutes trailer, i wondered why make this movie at all? the plot wasnt new, rambo went to rescure a group in enemy captives (hmmm rambo 2?) the action became 10x more bloody (didnt recall head chopping before) and the christian theme was simply overwhelming (so if you believed in the big man above, it will justify all the killing?)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx6i090FGzQ

[Baloo]

ah... but we go watch movies for the violence!

for the graphic violence! and rambo is the middle aged man's hero... having been their hero during thier teenage days...

I still like First Blood. It was totally nice to watch. And makes you think... some red neck white folks in backwater, USA are as deserving to get what they got for their open hostility even towards their own white skinned fellow American, no need to say Afro-American, or Jap-American or Chinese-American.

Second Blood ok, Third Blood was when Osama was an 'ally' whom USA was helping fight the Russians... haha...

Forth Blood is probably trying to make amends for the mistaken friendship with 3rdBlood...

"They drew First Blood. Not Me.... They drew first blood....." is something that strikes a cord with me somewhere... and I totally agree with that...

ok - Rambo Fan... hahahaha

actually, violence fan...

:whistle:

[Riko]

I love violent movies. But Rambo is somehow just too much schlock for me. To much shooting and not much killing.

I'd must rather Halloween or any Jason Vorhees (Friday The 13th).

The guy who did House of 1000 Corpses and Devil's Rejects is remaking Halloween.

I CAN'T WAIT.

I remember watching First Blood when I was a kid. The part where he ran off into the jungle and just snapped... that was amazing.

[erection day]

Let's talk about movies- movies we love, movies that inspire us, move us to tears, elicit laughters, give us wings. Or movies that are simply lousy, crappy, and almost compel us to demand admission refund.

Fantastic 4- Rise of the Silver Surfer is out now. I'm looking forward to it, having enjoyed quite immensely and guiltily the first movie. It was an 'air-head' version of Xmen and the good thing is that it didnt take itself too seriously. And it boasts an eye-candy. No, not Jessica Alba, silly! It's Chris Evans (with a bod to die for), the bad boy in the movie- the human torch. Anyway, just read the review from Neil Humphreys (hmmm.... didnt know this funny man writes review) in Today.

'But it is a strangely empty movie that sputters along from one mediocre action sequence to another before it reaches the abrupt 90-minute mark when the producers clearly thought 'that'll do. There are chases. There are explosions. There are more chases. There is clunky dialogue and acting so wooden you'll be tempted to shout 'Fantastic 4, kayu!'

Today- 2 stars New Paper- 3 stars

Still on a light note, Shu Qi, the sultry actress is coming to the new Cathay Cineplex AMK Hub to for its grand opening at 7.30pm. I have been a fan. :oops:

There's something about her lips- they almost turn me into a heterosexual (even if it's for a minute).

[oralb]

ED, shuqi is supposed to be in AMK on Tue 19th June, did the schedule change?

[erection day]

Ah.... yes, she's coming on the 19th. Tuesday. Oh, I thought she's 'opening' the cinema this Saturday. silly me.

[Mandrake]

I have watched Fantastic 4.

I think it's better then Spiderman 3 or Pirates 3.

Although the story might seem a little straight forward... but it's simple and imaginative.

The CGI is nicely done. Beautiful and classy... not confusing like the other 2 films mentioned.

Galactus... the devourer of worlds, pretty cool.

Well nothing personal, I just need to eat your planet because I am hungry.

You eat too right. hehe. Do you bother to chase the ants out of your sandwich?

Have to agree that the ending was a little abrupt...

but I look forward to the next installment.

[Andy@Tokyo]

Is fantastic 4 alreadyu showing?!!?!? omg.. it is not yet on in Jap

Is that wat Galactus said in the movie??

Oiii Mandrake, dont say anything specific abt wats going on in the movie lah

[Mandrake]

Hi Andy,

Sorry about it.

As a fan of the Marvel Universe, I took for granted that it was no mystery who Gxxxxxus was and what he does. So sorry. For consolation... It was quite plainly shown what he does in the movie... so don't worry too much. No surprise factor in the plot regarding him. As to what was said in my previous posting, of course Gxxxxxus didn't say that. hehe.

Dear Moderator, please help me to put a spoiler tab on my previous post.

Thank you.

[erection day]

Also in Today:

'With the success of its superhero franchise films such as Spiderman 3 and Fantastic 4, Marvel Studios annouced plans to bring another of its comic books to the big screen. The superhero team- the Avengers.

Meanwhile, a film version of rival DC Comics' creation, the Justice League of America is also in the pipleline. Among the characters expected to appear in the Avengers film are Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Ant-Man and the Wasp.

The traditional JLA line-up consists of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter. No release dates were announced.'

[oralb]

Mandrake:

i dont think your review had any spoilers in it, at least FF4's plot didnt have much depth or surprises to begin with

ED:

i so NOT looking forward to it, Spidey/ batman/ superman worked as they focused on one character at a time. as for Xmen, other than the prominant few the rest mutants were just filling up the screen.

but for Avengers/ JLA, they will be grouping characters that could command a movie to each indiviual and mix them up into rojak. character development will be down to min.

[erection day]

Another review from one of my favourite critics- James Berardinelli who gave The Rise of Silver Surfer one and half star.

'For non comic book fans over the age of 13, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is a tedious, incoherent bore. For comic book fans of any age, it is an atrocity - the cinematic desecration of one of the most storied and beloved of Marvel comic book epics. It reduces iconic characters to soulless special effects and turns one of the most ominous and dangerous of all villains into an interplanetary storm cloud. The action, of which there is little, is predictable and unexciting. The so-called "drama," of which there is far too much, is painful. Soap opera writers would be embarrassed to script such drivel. Then there's the overlay of "comedy," which is intended to reflect the superheroes' comic book origins, except it's not funny and it makes the Fantastic Four seem more like the Four Stooges than a quartet of world saviors. For a story that has been kicking around in one form or another in Hollywood for 30 years (at one point, it was to have starred Olivia Newton-John as the Silver Surfer's girlfriend), it's discouraging that this is the best the filmmakers could divine.

The acting is almost uniformly cringe-inducing. If not for his work in Amazing Grace, I would be convinced that Ioan Gruffudd has no talent whatsoever. Jessica Alba makes love to the camera with her looks but no amount of physical beauty can camouflage the fact that she can't act. (The guy sitting next to me kept murmuring, "She's hot!" not "What an actress!" That, I suppose, is the point.) Nip/Tuck's Julian McMahon froths at the mouth so energetically that one wonders if he has rabies. Stripped of his Shield and trapped under foam and latex, Michael Chilkis comes close to making Ben Grimm a sympathetic figure, until bad jokes get in the way. And Chris Evans is simply annoying, even though he has what comes closest to a character arc.

This movie is a mess. It's as if the script was cobbled together in a rush then changed during filming. The ending, in addition to being a letdown, is nonsensical. A lot of what happens in the film, including the re-introduction of Dr. Doom, feels completely arbitrary. What does it say about a major motion picture when the Stan Lee cameo is the highlight? (That was the only time when I smiled.) Rise of the Silver Surfer is only 90 minutes long but it seems as protracted and pointless as anything else this summer has had to offer.'

[Guest ><]

I think almost all the "print to screen" superhero movies sucks... even tho ive not watched them all, their first impressions have already disappionted me. bad casting, bad dialogues, bad acting, bad plot... those movies are only eye candies with all the gd looking actors and "kool" CGI. Im sort of a comicbook fan, and it breaks my heart to see how hollywood destroys them. Im sure the true fans can tell you how the those movies are so not true the the comicbook itself. Those movies feels so "power ranger"-ish. (and yes i did thought i saw a red ranger when i saw a spiderman clip being played on a TV at harvey norman).

pirates3 was quite good, tho it could have been better, i think people gave it a bad review was becos they dont understand the pirate lingos. the only time i remembered hearing people in the cinema responding was when they were laughing at the sight of a monkey on fire after being shot from a canon.

[Riko]

I discussed the movie with my friend who has already watched FF2 and I told him that the movie must end with a cliffhanger because the arrival of Silver Surfer means Galactus will be approaching soon... And the end would consist of Galactus approaching Earth and the movie ends in a 'to be continued' fashion.

I was totally devastated when my friend told me the ending. I was appalled!!

I won't reveal it here for the sake of those who wanna catch it, but those who already have... YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.

Now that I know the ending and how lame it is, I won't watch it.

I caught Ocean's Thirteen last night... and it was funny as hell. I highly recommend it.

I also saw the full trailer of Transformers and I must say that it looks highly impressive. They even used that sound from the cartoon when those characters were transforming... you know... that weird sound. I was surprised because I didn't think they would use it. Also, if I'm not wrong, Optimus Prime is voiced by the same person who voiced him in the cartoons in the 80's. Now that's authentic.

BUT, I cannot forgive Michael Bay for destroying Megatron's image. Megatron has to be a gun!! Not an alien spacecraft!!

By the way, those of you who have heard of Grindhouse (the movie which is of 2 separate movies by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez)... I got informed by the same friend that they are splitting the movie.

Which is crap because in every other country, it's just Grindhouse, two movies in one sitting!! Over here, when they show it, it'll be 2 separate movies for 2 separate ticket prices!! Money suckers!!

They tried to justify this act by saying that both movies deserve different ratings and so it'll be easier to just split them so that people who can't watch one movie can watch the other.

Yeah, so that you can make more money!!!!

Ok rant over.

[chubaholic]

OK, it is quite old but I recorded it from TV and only got to see it today.

"Turn Left, Turn Right"

[Guest fm am]

OK, it is quite old but I recorded it from TV and only got to see it today.

"Turn Left, Turn Right"

[oralb]

fm, that's another movie lah

turn left turn right starred Gigi and Takashi. based on a pictoral book from the well known taiwanese artist Jimmy. personally i felt the movie was too long as in order to drag the story they intro the unnessary gf of takashi and the doc (our singapore Edmund chen) into the movie.

[Guest Guest]

It is the most wonderful thing when two persons mutually in love can find each other.

Yes, just imagine there are 4 millions people in Singapore. Because you decided to make a right or left turn on a busy street, you get to meet HIM. He is standing there smiling at you and say "Hi ..." And both of you badly fall in love. It is fate or what? By thinking of that, it makes me cry. Isn't it beautiful ?

I read Ji Mi's book "Left Turn, Right Turn" many times. I found that the book is still better --- there's so sadness in it. The movie version is not bad but it loses the "correct feeling" created in the book.

[erection day]

Was standing in front of a video shop where they were playing a segment of 200 Pounds Beauty on DVD, a film which I missed and it became the highest grossing Korean film in Spore. I must say from the 15 min segment I saw that it's quite an engrossing film. Something to do with how other people 'value' you by how you look (the actress played a seriously over-weight woman who life changes 'for the better' after some surgery and drastic weight lost) . The actess is really likable. So is that gorgeous Korean actor (who's he!). Has anyone seen the film? Thought of buying the dvd.

[Buaya]

Well worth the tickets... Though somewhat predictable...

Great singing too...

But the fat suit... gosh... is really horribly done...

[oralb]

agreed, one of the better movies recently (i would say better than shrek 3)

it was an extreme make over movie that you kinda predict the ending miles away, but what made the movie interesting were the main leads (both male and female), the songs (did you know that the female lead sang most of the songs) and the witty plotlines.

go over to youtube, search for 200 pounds beauty and you can get many video clicks, recomended to watch the promotional clip "beautiful girl"

[Andy@Tokyo]

Is Die Hard 4 showing already singaore? Going to catch it this wkend.

[erection day]

No, Andy, Die Hard 4 will not be shown here this week despite Maggie Q being here early this week to promote this movie. I think next week. Not really looking forward to this- Die Hard 1 the real thing. The other sequels and I am afraid including no.4 will be a turkey. Somehow I cant buy the idea of Maggie Q beating the shit out of Bruce Willis. Saw part of the trailer and I laugh my head off at the scene where skinny Maggie sent big burly Bruce crashing into the wall. lol

[erection day]

According to some reveiws, Surf's Up is the best of all the recent films on penguins. Here's a short review from James Berardinelli:

'By now, I'm tired of penguins. After Madagascar, March of the Penguins, and Happy Feet, it's time to move on to some new species of beast or fowl. Yet I must admit that of the four recent penguin-centered movies, Surf's Up is the most entertaining. And, although it may not be the best-looking of those movies, it has the smartest, slickest script and the best voice acting. Even Morgan Freeman's narration isn't missed. In Surf's Up, the penguins aren't into saving the world or displaying family values or escaping from a zoo. They're just out to catch some tasty waves. In the process, they deliver the kind of wit we had hoped for from Shrek the Third but didn't get.

The script for Surf's Up is clever and hasn't been penned solely with six-year olds in mind. It's written on a level that works for adults and kids - something that hasn't been true of many non-Aardman animated features in several years. The film has plenty of funny one-liners, memorable moments, and pleasant digs at televised sports and reality shows. The "archival footage," scratched and tinged yellow, will bring a smile to many faces. Surf's Up offers a pleasant, satisfying mix - even the resolution doesn't turn out exactly as expected. Sadly, the film doesn't answer one burning question: how do penguins kiss with those beaks?

There's a lot more life in the vocal acting than is often the case in animated movies. Reportedly, directors Ash Brannon and Chris Buck insisted that the cast interact while reading the dialogue rather than doing it alone in a booth. Whatever the reason, there's more warmth and a better sense of camaraderie than one usually senses in an animated film. There are no superstars, but the recognizable voices of Shia LaBeouf, Jeff Bridges, Jon Heder, James Woods, and Zooey Deschanel provide a comfortable level of familiarity. Eddie Murphy, Robin Williams, and Mike Myers are not missed.

If there's a downside to Surf's Up, it's that the animation is far from cutting edge. It's not ugly or unaccomplished by any means but, when stacked against the visual splendor of the otherwise unappetizing Shrek the Third, it looks second rate. The visuals in Surf's Up are good enough to tell the story, but no more. No one is going to rhapsodize about the poetry of the film's images. Nevertheless, the screenplay is of high enough quality that one is willing to look past the fact that this isn't the best animated feature of 2007.

As is often the case, it's the unheralded movie that provides the better value for the entertainment dollar. Even though it's teeming with the suddenly ubiquitous birds in tuxedos, Surf's Up will still be swamped by the tsunami of the inferior but better branded third Shrek. Hopefully parents will give this movie a chance. It's also good enough to warrant attention by adults unencumbered by offspring. There's nothing childish about Surf's Up. Brannon and Buck, both of whom cut their teeth in Disney's animation studios, have constructed this movie in such a way that it offers something of value to viewers of all ages. If you have to see one penguin movie, this is it. '

Straits Time gave it three stars, New Paper 4 stars.

[Guest fm am]

Citizen Kane'' topped the list of the American Film Institute's top 100 movies, holding on to the lead spot 10 years after the list was first compiled.

The 1941 movie, written, directed and produced by Orson Welles when he was 25 years old, tells the story of newspaper tycoon Charles Foster Kane and his final word, ``Rosebud.'' Welles also starred in the title role.

The American Film Institute, based in Los Angeles, reissued its ``100 Years...100 Movies'' list 10 years after the original rankings were drawn up. A jury of 1,500 film artists, critics and historians evaluated the movies based on their critical recognition, awards, lasting popularity, and historical and cultural significance, the institute said.

``The Godfather,'' ``Casablanca,'' ``Raging Bull,'' and ``Singin' in the Rain'' rounded out the top five films.

AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies -- 10th Anniversary Edition:

1 Citizen Kane (1941)

2 The Godfather (1972)

3 Casablanca (1942)

4 Raging Bull (1980)

5 Singin' in the Rain (1952)

6 Gone With the Wind (1939)

7 Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

8 Schindler's List (1993)

9 Vertigo (1958)

10 The Wizard of Oz (1939)

11 City Lights (1931)

12 The Searchers (1956)

13 Star Wars (1977)

14 Psycho (1960)

15 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

16 Sunset Blvd. (1950)

17 The Graduate (1967)

18 The General (1927)

19 On the Waterfront (1954)

20 It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

[erection day]

Was quite surprised that the NP reveiwer gave quite a strong recommendation for the new Transformer movie. But that initial impression was short-lived after reading the other mostly unfavourable reviews. Here's a short excerpt from Sor Fern (one of the better local critics) of ST:

'This is, essentially, a $222 million advertisement for toys, so your tolerance of the movie is likely to increase with the level of affection you have for the original toys, which were a hit in the 1980s. The strain of trying to turn what is essentially kids'filler into big-screen entertainment does not faze director Michael Bay, whose forte is frat-boy simple action leavened with plenty of explosions, ari-brushed babes in scanty clothing, and very little sense. Bay has no confidence in the robots' ability to hold the screen. So most action sequences are squandered in headache-inducing jerky camera work and flashy quick edits where one barely gets to see the robots in any detail'

New Papers 4half stars 8Days 2half stars ST 2stars from Sor Fern 3stars from a fan Today 3stars

[Guest Guest_xmen]

I have seen the Transformer but somehow I wished I havent seen it.

[erection day]

A new gay movie from Philippines- The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros. About a '12-year-old sissy boy experiencing blossoming sexuality, develops a crush on an older man. The kid is pretty, flirty and sensitive, pursuing a nice-looking incorruptible cop.'

Well, it sounds like a pretty good movie and according to the reveiw in ST- 'it is an accomplishment of astonishing assuredness and maturity.' 3half stars and opens in selected theatres tomorrow.

I'm very curious to know what the cop looks like, so will catch it soon.

[bukitpanjang]

A new gay movie from Philippines- The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros. About a '12-year-old sissy boy experiencing blossoming sexuality, develops a crush on an older man. The kid is pretty, flirty and sensitive, pursuing a nice-looking incorruptible cop.'

Well, it sounds like a pretty good movie and according to the reveiw in ST- 'it is an accomplishment of astonishing assuredness and maturity.' 3half stars and opens in selected theatres tomorrow.

I'm very curious to know what the cop looks like, so will catch it soon. 

before anyone thinks it has plenty of hot scenes...

pls think otherwise.

this is a drama that really requires you to understand maximo's plight. and the need to be in his shoes. otherwise the ending will just be very foreign to you.

the rest of the film is not a turbulent roller coaster ride and at time a little bit slow. its a sad drama love story afterall.

it appealed to me because identifying oneself with maximo is not difficult.

at any one time in ur life you will always have this father figure (not necessarily related to you by kin) who means something to you. and finding urself in all that mess...

i watched the non subtitled version a few mths ago. would prob go to catch this one again at the cinema...

[erection day]

ah Bukitpanjang, is the cop good looking? That's one of the reason I wanted to watch.

Anyway, I'm not expecting any 'hot scenes'. Surely not one with a 12-year-old. yucks.

[bukitpanjang]

According to some reveiws, Surf's Up is the best of all the recent films on penguins.

what's the deal about penguins...?

[bukitpanjang]

ah Bukitpanjang, is the cop good looking? That's one of the reason I wanted to watch.

Anyway, I'm not expecting any 'hot scenes'. Surely not one with a 12-year-old. yucks.

gegegeegee

the version i watched i enjoyed the scene where he was changing from towel into his underpants and then getting dressed...

well yes... i find the cop attractive... but i guess that's very subjective...

[Guest Guest]

ah Bukitpanjang, is the cop good looking? That's one of the reason I wanted to watch.

Anyway, I'm not expecting any 'hot scenes'. Surely not one with a 12-year-old. yucks.

ED, see for yourself

http://www.blossomingofmaximooliveros.com/

The policeman is the actor called JR Valentin. http://www.jrvalentin.com/ :whistle:

[erection day]

Thanks.. er.... he looks kind of cute. haha. And young!

[erection day]

Wonder if anyone has seen this little known gay Korean film called Rodeu-mubi - Road Movie starring the broodingly handsome Chan Jung. Chan Jung was mentioned in the NP yesterday and I really like his look and wanted to know more about him. According to the report, he was so engrossed in this particular role as a drug addict that he smoked the real thing and got caught and spent some time in jail.

[Riko]

I thought Transformers was THE movie of the decade.

Why do some reviews take such celluloid actions movies like Transformers so seriously? I just don't get it.

It's not a 'beautiful' movie. It's just meant to be aesthetically pleasing. After the movie, you're supposed to say "THAT WAS SOME AWESOME &lt;&lt;Don't Feed The Troll&gt;&gt; MAN!".

It's a Hollywood action movie. It's not supposed to have substance. It's simply a bunch of robots landing on Earth looking for something that supposedly landed here, and they fight for it with lots of explosions and guns blazing in a good vs. evil kinda cliche thing and there you go. Someone wins (I'm not going to spoil it) and there you have it. The End.

Surprisingly, I thought it was going to be a flop. I heard about its production 2 years ago. That's how long I was anticipating it. Usually with that kinda hype, you get disappointed like how Spider-Man sucked crap.

But it didn't. To me it didn't. And almost everyone else I've talked to. Some of my friends have even watched it 2-3 times. And it's within opening week.

[GachiMuchi]

I felt Transformer was really cool too.

It is one of THE movie for me along with Pirate's.

[bokeh]

I think Transformers is great entertainment. The main actor Shia Le-something is really cute. Think he has a bright future in Hollywood.

My favorite movie of the year is Hot Fuzz. Actually watched this movie twice! This british film is a combination of british murder mystery and hollywood action thriller. I was laughing from the start of the movie to the end. Great action plus great storyline. It also helps that the main actor is kind of cute in the movie. His many exasperated and "is this for real" facial expressions will tickle your funny bones no end. Highly recommended! (my personal opinion)

[doncoin]

Go see La Vie en Rose (La Mome). It's about the life of Edith Piaf. As far as bio-epics go, this one is a little messy as it is not told in a chronological manner, buty jumps through time back and forth.

Marion Cottilard is simply superbe as Piaf.

Excerpt on Youtube

Here's the trailer.

[oralb]

Incidentally we are talking about Hot Fuzz last Sunday with LupCheong and sBlue. Quite a nice changed to the usual police paired up, (1 was a highly efficient city cop while the other was a layback country officer)

The flow went interestingly smooth though I don

[bukitpanjang]

I think Transformers is great entertainment. The main actor Shia Le-something is really cute. Think he has a bright future in Hollywood.

My favorite movie of the year is Hot Fuzz. Actually watched this movie twice! This british film is a combination of british murder mystery and hollywood action thriller. I was laughing from the start of the movie to the end. Great action plus great storyline. It also helps that the main actor is kind of cute in the movie. His many exasperated and "is this for real" facial expressions will tickle your funny bones no end. Highly recommended! (my personal opinion)

i second that~!!!

hot fuzz just rawks

funny but not stupid~! (doesn't make really dumb jokes, it actually has a nice plot and several twists!!)

[erection day]

Review on Harry Potter & The Order of Phoenix from Ong Sor Fern in ST today- a short excerpt:

'The book was slow and lumpen, and they have done the narrative good with the ruthless jettisoning of various over-extended subplots. Despite the editing, The Order of the Phoenix feels like more of the same. The fifth tale of the series shows up Rowling's shortcomings as a storyteller, chief of wich is the fact that the books have essentially had the same story are for the past five installments. Unlike the phoenix of its title, however, this film cannot quite rise fully fledged from the ashes of the book.'

3 stars

Didnt watch the fourth and still hesitant whether to bother with the fifth.

Today 3half stars

[erection day]

Just read another review from my favourite film critic. This time a more positive, almost glowing, review of the latest Harry Potter film.

'With its fifth cinematic outing, the Harry Potter film series has ascended to another level. In addition to providing a self-contained, well-paced adventure, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix also begins to coalesce the epic ether that has been building over the past four films (especially the last two). With this movie, we sense that we're on the brink of something big, dark, and ominous. "By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes

[bukitpanjang]

one thing i can add is harry's no longer little.

in fact, he's very much legal.

:twisted:

[lonely]

I just watched Transformer, and I agree. It totally rocks.

[erection day]

The dvd of 300- that semi-gay flick (where the men all got big boobs) which we all loved is just out. Will buy it and slow-mo some part of it- hope can learn more with 'the making of' feature as well.

Also, tonight on Ch 5 look out for DodgeBall- a Ben Stiller comedy which I didnt watch when it had its run here.

[erection day]

Review of Hairspray just out from my favourite critic. Some of you might be familiar with the original musical which became sort of a cult classic.

'Hairspray follows in the footsteps of Little Shop of Horrors and The Producers as campy movies that became even more campy stage musicals before returning to the screen in lavish song-and-dance productions. (While no one would accuse Hairspray of occupying the upper echelon of movie musicals, it's an entertaining diversion, which is about the most anyone could hope for from something ultimately spawned in the mind of John Waters. That plot is slight but the characters are likeable and the tunes are catchy (if not memorable). And the film doesn't put on airs. It's content to be what it is without trying to challenge A-list, would-be Oscar contenders like Chicago and Dreamgirls.

When Waters' Hairspray reached theaters in 1988, it was hailed as being the director's most accessible work to-date. It eventually made its way to Broadway before director Adam Shankman decided to bring it back into the motion picture realm. There are several nods to the original: Jerry Stiller, one of the stars of the non-musical version, has a small role; John Waters has a can't-miss-it cameo; and the production retains the genial nature of its predecessor. Due to a raft of nearly nonstop singing and dancing, however, this is a completely different experience. You don't have to like the original to appreciate this one (or, I suppose, vice versa).

Less than 24 hours after seeing the movie, I can't hum a single song, but the dozen-or-so numbers are lively and their accompanying dances jaunty. That's more than can be said of Rent or The Producers or even (to an extent) Dreamgirls. The actors seem to be enjoying themselves and it comes across. Newcomer Nikki Blonsky is a firecracker; she explodes on the scene during the opening number and holds the camera's attention to the end. She is supported by a number of familiar names - Amanda Bynes, Christopher Walken (playing against type as a dweeb), Michelle Pfeiffer (who has re-invented herself as a witch), Queen Latifa (giving a standout performance - her best since Chicago)and James Marsden (a long way from superhero movies). There is, however, one significant casting mistake: John Travolta. It may have taken Travolta four hours to get ready each day, but when you look at Edna, what you see is Travolta in a fat suit in drag. The character never comes through. This doesn't even work as an over-the-top gimmick (which is what it was on stage, with Harvey Fierstein inheriting the role originated in 1988 by Divine). This is Travolta at his worst, and when he sings, there's an expectation that he'll segue into "Greased Lightin'."

Hairspray is the kind of movie that could become a sleeper success if it wasn't being publicized so relentlessly. Its agenda is deceptively simple: an opportunity to spend a pleasant two hours in an air-conditioned auditorium. There are no special effects (unless you count Travolta's fat suit), no explosions, no chase scenes, and no shoot-outs. The film isn't deep or thematically rich or filled with amazing characters. Instead, it's an excursion into song and dance, and works admirably on that level. Hairspray exceeded my expectations and, while it isn't my favorite movie of the pool-and-beach season, it's enjoyable enough to earn a recommendation.' James Berardinelli