Fun fun fun! ...
Netflix + XBox 360 = Goodness^2
I've opened a new segment to the Tanque: Movie reviews.
I am a movie freak. We have a collection of over 200 DVD's which is growing by leaps and bounds, but nothing has been able to sate my need for movies like Netflix's new collaboration with the XBox 360. For those who haven't heard, an $8.99/month Netflix membership plus a wireless router, XBox360 with wireless card and XLive Gold membership gets near instant access to over 12,000 movies on your TV.
I am in love!
Review: "About Last Night ..." (Romantic Comedy Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Jim Belushi) This romantic comedy from the '80's is based upon David Mamet's play, "Sexual Perversions in Chicago." The story is your run-of-the-mill romantic comedy -- nothing surprising there. Fairly good acting from Moore, Rob Lowe is lackluster in his performance, and Jim Belushi is below par in his role. The movies only saving grace was the writing of the script. Some fairly good lines gleaned from Mamet were butchered by Belushi and Lowe -- most notably in the opening of the film where Belushi is bragging to Lowe about the previous night's sexual conquest. Belushi doesn't need to be performing Mamet. Other than that, it was a tolerable movie with a few original insightful lines that made it worth the download. 3 out of 5.
Review: "Jesus Camp." (Documentary) Being a veteran of evangelical summer camp and fundamentalist Christian upbringing, I found this movie to be a hauntingly familiar and fairly accurate representation of Bible Camp. Without overt narration, the movie follows a particular ministry through the month before, during and after the actual camp with particular emphasis on a few kids in the camp, the head of the children's camp ministry, and a radio talk show host in his studio. It focuses mainly on indoctrination methods of children and its possible effect on the overall political landscape of the USA. Though it tried to appear objective, there was an undertone of malice toward the church in general. Nothing was shown in the storyline except for the negative aspects.
I have found there are different grades of documentary films as far as objectivity is concerned. Michael Moore has an agenda. He is not objective, and pours tons of opinion into his films through selective editing, musical selection and inflammatory narration. That said, I think he makes no bones about it and is rightfully proud of his work -- it is expository documentary at its finest, and is not only accurate, informative and important work, but wildly funny and gripping entertainment as well. But Michael Moore does not try and hide behind the guise of objectivity. He openly discusses his agenda inside his work and in public speaking engagements.
My only problem with "Jesus Camp" (not a Michael Moore film) was the surreptitious nature by which the film maker made the opinion seep through by way of biased editing, ominous music in scenes which weren't ominous enough on their own, and sneaking in narration by way of using the talk radio host. I *did* agree with the movie's content almost 100%, but it just seemed like the movie didn't "play fair" as a documentary. I took a point away for that reason. 4 out of 5.
I've opened a new segment to the Tanque: Movie reviews.
I am a movie freak. We have a collection of over 200 DVD's which is growing by leaps and bounds, but nothing has been able to sate my need for movies like Netflix's new collaboration with the XBox 360. For those who haven't heard, an $8.99/month Netflix membership plus a wireless router, XBox360 with wireless card and XLive Gold membership gets near instant access to over 12,000 movies on your TV.
I am in love!
Review: "About Last Night ..." (Romantic Comedy Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Jim Belushi) This romantic comedy from the '80's is based upon David Mamet's play, "Sexual Perversions in Chicago." The story is your run-of-the-mill romantic comedy -- nothing surprising there. Fairly good acting from Moore, Rob Lowe is lackluster in his performance, and Jim Belushi is below par in his role. The movies only saving grace was the writing of the script. Some fairly good lines gleaned from Mamet were butchered by Belushi and Lowe -- most notably in the opening of the film where Belushi is bragging to Lowe about the previous night's sexual conquest. Belushi doesn't need to be performing Mamet. Other than that, it was a tolerable movie with a few original insightful lines that made it worth the download. 3 out of 5.
Review: "Jesus Camp." (Documentary) Being a veteran of evangelical summer camp and fundamentalist Christian upbringing, I found this movie to be a hauntingly familiar and fairly accurate representation of Bible Camp. Without overt narration, the movie follows a particular ministry through the month before, during and after the actual camp with particular emphasis on a few kids in the camp, the head of the children's camp ministry, and a radio talk show host in his studio. It focuses mainly on indoctrination methods of children and its possible effect on the overall political landscape of the USA. Though it tried to appear objective, there was an undertone of malice toward the church in general. Nothing was shown in the storyline except for the negative aspects.
I have found there are different grades of documentary films as far as objectivity is concerned. Michael Moore has an agenda. He is not objective, and pours tons of opinion into his films through selective editing, musical selection and inflammatory narration. That said, I think he makes no bones about it and is rightfully proud of his work -- it is expository documentary at its finest, and is not only accurate, informative and important work, but wildly funny and gripping entertainment as well. But Michael Moore does not try and hide behind the guise of objectivity. He openly discusses his agenda inside his work and in public speaking engagements.
My only problem with "Jesus Camp" (not a Michael Moore film) was the surreptitious nature by which the film maker made the opinion seep through by way of biased editing, ominous music in scenes which weren't ominous enough on their own, and sneaking in narration by way of using the talk radio host. I *did* agree with the movie's content almost 100%, but it just seemed like the movie didn't "play fair" as a documentary. I took a point away for that reason. 4 out of 5.