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December movies:
I'll be honest. My life has basically become about working, sleeping and playing Xbox. Sure. I eat. And hang out with people (usually on Xbox) and sometimes I go out and do stuff (where I invariably end up talking to them about Xbox). And we had the holidays (I managed to buy Edward Xbox games for his birthday, Thanksgiving, MY birthday, Christmas AND New Years Eve). But mostly it's been Halo. And Bioshock. And Rock Band. And Overlord. We've been Called to Duty any number of times (A sniper I am not. A shotgun wielding brute force to be reckoned with? I am.) So I watched some movies. But mostly just to take a break from all the online butt stroking and energy hammering I've been doing.
Ocean's 13: ... was entertaining. Nothing new really. Better than Ocean's 12. Not as good as Ocean's 11. Ellen Barkin is fricking scary looking. I'm not really sure what she's had done but she looked shellacked. Not sexy. Not even not scary. There was a close up of her face that actually made me scream a little. For real.
Live Free or Die Hard: I [heart] Justin Long. Have ever since he was on Ed back, uh, whenever that show was on. So it was cool to see him in a big fancy action movie. The film itself really played on a lot of technophobia and paranoia I have so I totally got into how easy it would be for someone to fuck us all up by accessing the way our infrastructure is so computerized and vulnerable. I've talked before about parkour being this big new thing that American action movies are all doing this year after District 13 came out last year. What I didn't realize is that Live Free or Die Hard doesn't just borrow from the parkour genre. They hired THE GUY (Cyril Raffaelli) who starred in District 13 and has done stunt work in France for ages to be in their movie. I was all excited when I first saw him because I knew he wasn't just going to be playing "Thug #6" but rather that he was going to fling himself bodily around, over and through shit that was going to be super kick ass. I wasn't wrong. Can somebody give him his own movie (again) that actually gets played over here please? I'd pay to see it.
Superbad: Edward bought this for me for my birthday. I liked it a lot when I first saw it but I didn't LOVE it. I got distracted by Jonah Hill's lackluster performance (note to the comedy world: yelling and being fat doesn't automatically equal funny - just saying). But I watched it again this time knowing that I should just ignore him and found around him a truly hilariously awesomely great, funny, ridiculous movie. After we watched Arrested Development I knew I loved Michael Cera. And Seth Rogen and I go way back (Freaks and Geeks). It was fun picking out all the other people in the movie who were ever on Freaks and Geeks or Undeclared. Good times. Worth a 2nd looksee.
Lars and the Real Girl I wanted to love it and think it was innovative and interesting and touching and weird and wonderful. I didn't.
Emmett Otter's Jugband Christmas: Check this out. The Henson Legacy gave The Alamo Drafthouse a version of Emmett Otter that's only ever been shown at a museum for TV history. And they decide to show it for FREE at noon the weekend before Christmas. They had to turn away an entire extra theater full of people who wanted to get in. Luckily I'm a total dorkbag and I was there super early all raring and ready to go. They had a live jugband play before the show, their kids club matinee thing is so cool they actually tell little kids how to watch a movie in a theater with other people so that those kids will grow up to be adults who don't act like complete douchebags when they go see movies later and then we got to see Emmett Otter on a big screen in front of an appreciative audience FOR FREE. I love this town. I love The Alamo. I love that I got to go do this. Of course I cried like a little wussball and everyone clapped along and tapped their feet. I was stoked that the kids in the audience REALLY got into it so when Emmet puts a hole in his mother's wash tub to do the talent contest so he can buy her a piano and she sells his toolbox to buy material to make a dress so she can do the talent contest in order to afford to buy him a guitar, the kids were all "awwwwww nooooooooo". It was awesome.
Juno: Right after Emmett Otter I scooted over to see Juno. Michael Cera again. And Jason Bateman. And JK Simmons. A cast worth its weight in gold really. And EW won't shut up about the second coming of screenwriter Diablo Cody. So I was all in. I have to say that I thought some of the writing was a little forced and seemed a little overly cutesy and silly for me personally. On the other hand, Michael Cera was INSANELY great in it. There's a close up of him in the beginning when he finds out Juno's pregnant where you watch him go through about 8 different things without ever saying anything. You can't direct that shit. That kid has chops. Good times. I kind of wish they hadn't glossed over the fact that she decided not to get an abortion so shabbily. And, you know, for personal reasons was miffed that the abortion clinic is depicted as this fucked up place where the people who work there and the vibe of the place is all freaky and weird and messed up. Most people don't show up and run fleeing from the premises all sweaty and full of regret for even considering having one. I'm just saying. It's shit like that that makes talking about abortion in any real way that much more impossible. I really liked all the little details in the costumes and art direction and set design. It all helped tell the story and it was executed seamlessly. Highly recommended.
Dexter: Season One: I know about serial killers. I haven't met any personally (that I know of anyway) but I've read copious, almost creepy amounts of books on the subject. Specifically about criminal profiling and forensic psychology. So with that, I have to say that Dexter is best enjoyed if watched WITHOUT an eye toward reality or toward the true psychology of sociopaths and psychotic behavior. Having said that, as a character study and as a serial drama, it's riveting stuff. Again, a cast to dream about. Tons of people from prior shows I adore (half the cast of Oz is here) and really, really solid character building and writing. It doesn't hurt that Michael C. Hall has this guy totally sewn up and that he's playing him in this really interesting way. Kind of hard to make a monstrous murdering serial killer relateable, likable and understandable. He does it though. And how. Definitely one of the more compelling TV shows I've seen in a while.
The Muppet Show - Seasons 1 and 2: various episodes: My sister got me Season One last year for Christmas and followed it up with Season 2 this year. I spent a lot of time during my holiday break watching as many episodes as I could stuff into my life. I have to say that I think the Steve Martin episode from Season 2 might well be my favorite of all time, but I haven't gotten to the Lena Horne episode and there's still seasons 3 through 5 to get to. I'm a fan of The Muppets. And the more I go back and watch what I grew up loving, the more I realize that it's not a nostalgic love or a childish affection. I really think The Muppets are one of the coolest, best, most amazing things ever created. Plus, they're funny as shit. It's all vaudeville stuff, sight gags, puns, pratfalls, slapstick, high drama and truly inventive storytelling that continues to just make my jaw drop even as a cynical, jaded, bitter, hard hearted adult. Yaaaaaaaaaayyyy!!!!!