Boo Movies

Understanding Impossible (NO DANGER OF SPOILER)

2012-02-05T16:57:00.004-06:00

I compare "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" to the "Mission Impossible" movies. The whole time I had no freakin' idea what was going on. The difference is that MI had all kinds of exciting car chases and shootouts to distract me from my confusion. TTSS had no similar mitigating features. The acting was excellent, but the movie was just not for me.

I rate "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" at 2 Boos.

The Oscars Are Incredibly Close

2012-01-29T20:51:00.004-06:00

The Oscar nominations have been announced and thus begins my quest to see all of the Best Picture nominations by February 26. It so happens I recently saw The Descendents" (one down). Last night we saw "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" (two down, seven to go). An excellent movie that I probably would not have seen were it not nominated (which is the whole point).

It is a tear jerker, but worth it. I'm surprise the kid did not get nominated for anything. It was quite a performance for someone his age.

I rate "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" at 4 Boos.

Groan!

2012-01-24T22:13:00.003-06:00

The Oscar nominations were announced this morning. This year will be particularly difficult to see all of the Best Picture nominations. I just have no desire at all to see "War Horse" or "The Tree of Life". I'm sure they're both good, but... We'll see how it goes.

Clooney is on a Streak (thankfully the kind with clothes on)

2012-01-24T22:07:00.003-06:00

Imagine my excitement when I discovered in the early minutes of "The Ides of March" that two of my favorite actors were in it - Paul Giamatti and Philip Seymour Hoffman. It is a really good movie. I had a few quibbles with the plot. For instance, as a voter I just wouldn't be upset, or surprised, to discover that the campaign manager for my guy had a conversation with the campaign manager for the other guy - especially during the primary. Plot quibbles aside I was very happy with this movie. Oh, and George Clooney did a good job too.

I rate "The Ides of March" at 4 Boos.

Clooney Descends Up

2012-01-19T22:14:00.003-06:00

More often than not I'm disappointed with George Clooney movies. Happily "The Descendants" was pretty darn good. I liked it a lot. I thought Clooney did a great job, and I thought the actress who played the older daughter, Shailene Woodley, did an outstanding job. I'll be watching for her future movies.

I rate "The Descendants" at 4 Boos.

A Horribly Surprising Delight

2012-01-07T07:53:00.002-06:00

The synopsis for "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" did not begin to do it justice. It was an unexpected delight!

I rate "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" at 4 Boos.

Darwin is Awarded 2 Boos

2012-01-07T07:48:00.002-06:00

Well 2012 got off to a disappointing start. The premise of "The Darwin Awards" sounded great. But it just did not deliver. I had trouble staying interested until the end.

I rate "The Darwin Awards" at 2 Boos.

2011 - That's a Wrap!

2012-01-01T15:48:00.002-06:00

After a disappointing 2010 at Boo Movies, things were looking up in 2011. Movie viewing was up with 44 movies watched and rated. The average rating for 2011 was 3.43, which is typical.

An unprecedented five perfect 5 Boos ratings were awarded! Four of which were given to current movies I saw in the theater. You'll recall only 15 perfect Boos have been granted since the dawn of time, and a bunch of those went to old classics. This means a lot of quality work was seen in 2011. I declare that "Black Swan" was the Best movie I saw in 2011, and "The Adjustment Bureau" was my Favorite movie of 2011.

The lowest rating given this year was 2 Boos, to eight different movies. I'm going to forego my tradition of highlighting the worst movie I saw last year because none of them stand out as being worse than the rest. Collectively they were just disappointing movies.

I made it to the theater nine times. While still not at the level I want to be, it is trending upward from last year.

I'm hopeful for a great year at the movies in 2012. I'm eagerly anticipating the release of "Fun Size," produced by Michael Beugg, which has (spoiler alert!) at least one scene filmed in the same cemetery where Dead President James Garfield resides.

See you at the movies.

CUT!

2011-12-31T23:00:00.002-06:00

The wife had never seen "Edward Scissorhands" and I had not seen it since it was in the theaters in 1990. Frankly I couldn't remember anything about it. So we made it our last movie of 2011. I'd say it has stood the test of time well. I thought Winona Ryder's performance was very weak, but otherwise this 21 year old movie is still pretty watchable.

I rate "Edwards Scissorhands" at 3 Boos.

Hell Yes, I'd Like Some of Those Pills

2011-12-17T21:38:00.002-06:00

...and I'd be a lot smarter with them than the guy in the movie.

I rate "Limitless" at 4 Boos.

Punching the Clown

2011-12-03T22:24:00.004-06:00

I love the name of this movie. Sadly no clowns made an appearance, but it was entertaining nonetheless.

I rate "Punching the Clown" at 3 Boos.

It Really Was a Happy Accident

2011-10-30T21:51:00.004-05:00

I've long said that my wife and I are perfectly compatible in every way except one - our choice in movies. So how lucky was it that she found us a romantic time travel movie?

I rate "Happy Accidents" at 4 Boos.

The Awesomeness of Alice Creed

2011-10-18T15:48:00.002-05:00

It was one of those perfect moments when I knew absolutely nothing about this movie. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Very well done!

~~I rate "The Disappearance of Alice Creed" at 4 Boos~~.

Update: Upon reflection I think this movie deserves a better rating. I just don't know how they could have done it any better. Be warned though, this movie has some disturbing moments, it's not for the faint of heart.

I rate "The Disappearance of Alice Creed" at 5 Boos.

Wiig

2011-10-10T06:43:00.003-05:00

I think Kristen Wiig is fantastic in SNL, and I thought she was fantastic in "Bridesmaids". It'll be interesting to see if she can keep up this pace for her whole career.

I rate "Bridesmaids" at 4 Boos.

Everything Was Slow

2011-09-21T20:52:00.002-05:00

I was very disappointed in the whole experience.

I rate "Everything Must Go" at 2 Boos.

Two All Beef Patties, Special Sauce...

2011-09-06T21:26:00.001-05:00

Lately I've been struggling with myself to eat better. In a quest for inspiration I turned to the movies. I thought about watching "Food, Inc." but decided I still need to eat something. So I turned instead to "Super Size Me." It was an interesting experiment that made for an interesting movie. I would not argue for a moment that it was unbiased. Nor would I argue that its findings are scientifically valid. But it was certainly thought-provoking. Reminiscent of a Michael Moore movie, but probably not quite as good, I think it's worth watching.

Incidentally, I did not walk to McDonalds today, but instead made my way to the salad bar at Whole Foods. Let's hope that attitude lasts.

I rate "Super Size Me" at 3 Boos.

Moon x 3

2011-09-02T23:07:00.004-05:00

I really liked "Moon." Never heard of it. Didn't know anything about it. It was a Netflix recommendation, which is ironic because it will be my last Netflix DVD since the jerks nearly doubled the price. Anyhow back to the movie. I liked it a lot. You'll like it too.

I rate "Moon" at 4 Boos.

Cedar Plods

2011-09-02T06:30:00.002-05:00

Apparently my expectations were too high. I expected "Cedar Rapids" to be better. It was OK, but I was disappointed.

I rate "Cedar Rapids" at 2 Boos.

It Wasn't a Comedy About the Tobacco Industry

2011-08-25T22:33:00.002-05:00

How many times have I said that I love going into a movie knowing nothing about it? We'll I got what I asked for tonight. I assumed "I Love You Phillip Morris" was a comedy. Not really. Oh it had plenty of funny moments, but it was not at all what I expected. But it was definitely entertaining.

I rate "I Love You Phillip Morris" at 3 Boos.

OK Corral - Take 3

2011-08-23T22:26:00.003-05:00

Tonight we watched our third version of the story of the gunfight at the O.K. corral, specifically 1946's "My Darling Clementine." This is the version with Henry Fonda as Wyatt Earp, and Victor Mature as, our hero, Doc Holliday. By far, the least historically accurate of the three, and the least violent. Valuable screen time that could have been used for shootouts and hijinks was instead spent on a square dance. I enjoyed it for its quaintness, but it did the worst job telling the story. Too much focus on the love interests, and not enough time on the feud.

Faithful readers may be wondering if we have developed some weird fetish for this story. Actually what's going on is that the next book our Book Club will be reading is "Doc" by Mary Doria Russell. This is a retelling of the story of Doc Holliday. So we thought it would be interesting to bone up on the popular legend of this man before reading the book. Three movies later, we're ready to go.

I rate "My Darling Clementine" at 2 Boos.

OK Corral - Take 2

2011-08-21T22:22:00.003-05:00

Tonight we watched our second version of the story of the gunfight at the O.K. corral, specifically 1957's "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral." This is the Burt Lancaster / Kirk Douglas version. Other than the music which was ridiculously dated, it was actually pretty good. In fact the music was so bad that it actually became a highlight of the movie. I think Tombstone, the previous version we saw, was more factually accurate. But I thought this was the better movie.

Burt Lancaster was a better Wyatt Earp than Kurt Russell (advantage GatOKC), although Kurt looked more like the real Wyatt. Whereas, Val Kilmer was a better Doc Holliday than Kirk Douglas (advantage Tombstone).

It's also interesting to note that the famous gunfight was the climax to this version. In Tombstone, by contrast, it was in the middle of the movie.

And I must note I enjoyed seeing DeForest Kelley (you know him as Dr. McCoy on Star Trek) as a much younger actor. There were countless occasions during the movie when he could have said, "He's dead, Wyatt." But alas, it never happened.

I rate "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" at 3 Boos.

OK Corral - Take 1

2011-08-17T22:48:00.002-05:00

"Tombstone" couldn't decide if it wanted to be an action or a comedy. It took so long trying to decide that it went on way too long.

I rate "Tombstone" at 2 Boos.

Conquest Becomes Rise, I Become Happy

2011-08-10T22:18:00.005-05:00

It's well documented that I am a lifelong fan of the Planet of the Apes. As such I could hardly wait to see the latest offering "Rise of the Planet of the Apes." This version had a number of things going for it. It's the first serious attempt to document how the apes began their rise to power. Furthermore it's the first time we've been offered a plausible explanation for how a species became smart enough to acquire the power of speech. What really made this version interesting is that it's basically a retelling of the story originally portrayed in "Conquest of the PotA." Interesting because these are the events that are talked about at great length in the other PotA sagas, but were so badly presented in Conquest.

So kudos all around to everybody involved. I really liked it, and I'm ready for the next one.

I rate "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" at 4 Boos.

I'm Beginning to Think I Saw the Preview Too Many Times

2011-07-10T09:57:00.002-05:00

I had unrealistically high expectations for "The Beginners" going in. I was bored for the first 30 minutes, but probably only because the previews had revealed everything that was going to happen. As the movie went on it did grow on me. In the end, I enjoyed it but didn't love it.

I rate "The Beginners" at 3 Boos.

Too Bad 9 Boos is Off the Chart

2011-07-10T09:49:00.004-05:00

I somehow found myself watching "The Nines" recently. The plot summary was weak and non-descriptive. This turned out to be a good thing. "The Nines" is just the type of movie that the less you know going in, the better. So without further ado, I recommend you watch it.

I rate "Then Nines" at 4 Boos.

Searching for Bobby Fischer

2011-06-25T17:16:00.002-05:00

I rate "Searching for Bobby Fischer" at 3 Boos.

Giamatti is a Winner Winner

2011-06-25T17:09:00.003-05:00

I'm very close to elevating Paul Giamatti to the It-Doesn't-Matter-Level. As in, it doesn't matter what the movie is about or who else is in it. If Giamatti is involved, I'll just go to see it no questions asked. This elite class contains such luminaries as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis and Ron Howard. I'll keep you posted.

In the meantime I'll say that "Win Win" was quite good.

I rate "Win Win" at 4 Boos.

Expectations Falling

2011-06-07T22:09:00.003-05:00

When I sit down to watch a Bruce Willis movie I expect it will be awesome. Alas, 1998's "Mercury Rising" was only just ok.

I rate "Mercury Rising" at 3 Boos.

Not Bad Baby Not Bad

2011-05-07T07:51:00.003-05:00

The middle got a little confusing, but overall not a bad watch.

I rate "Gone Baby Gone" at 3 Boos.

Old Milk

2011-04-24T10:36:00.003-05:00

I recently caught the 1984 documentary of Harvey Milk. It was interesting and had good background. But if you only want to watch one movie to learn about this man, I recommend you invest in the 2008's "Milk" starring Sean Penn.

I rate "The Times of Harvey Milk" at 3 Boos.

Yes Man, I Did Like It

2011-04-05T17:07:00.003-05:00

A solid romantic comedy.

I rate "Yes Man" at 3 Boos.

Source Code

2011-04-05T17:04:00.001-05:00

My kind of movie!

I rate "Source Code" at 4 Boos.

Good Use of Nipple Clamps

2011-04-01T23:54:00.002-05:00

"Date Night" with Tina Fey and Steve Carell was an enjoyable comedy. Nothing ground breaking, but fun to watch.

I rate "Date Night" at 3 Boos.

Maybe There Was a Communication Gap

2011-03-27T01:08:00.004-05:00

Well we have no idea why anything happened, nor do we understand the motivation of any of the characters. But there was a really bad ass scooter chase and shootout. That's gotta be worth something.

I rate "The American" at 2 Boos.

Back to 1984

2011-03-06T21:59:00.003-06:00

I'm on the record as having a major weakness for time travel stories. So I couldn't pass up a chance to see "The Philadelphia Experiment." It feels dated, but not so bad as to be unwatchable. What this movie needs is to get rid of the love interest. It doesn't work now, and I doubt it worked back then. The woman was annoying and whiny. Under no circumstance can I imagine I would jump out of the time vortex to spend it with her.

One interesting contrast between then and now is the sex. If this had been prime time network television in 2011 the clothes would have been flying off within the first 30 minutes. Apparently back in 1984 they were more modest. We didn't get to see a thing.

I rate "The Philadelphia Experiment" at 2 Boos.

The Madness of King George

2011-03-06T11:03:00.003-06:00

It was lively. It was entertaining. However, having seen it on the heels of both "John Adams" and "The King's Speech" it suffered in comparison.

I rate "The Madness of King George" at 3 Boos.

No Adjustment Necessary

2011-03-06T10:51:00.003-06:00

"The Adjustment Bureau" hits the sweet spot as a nearly perfect movie for me. When I look back at 2011, it may not be the best movie I saw all year, but it will certainly be in the running for my favorite movie of the year. I loved it.

I rate "The Adjustment Bureau" at 5 Boos.

Boo Movies SIX YEAR Anniversary Oscar Preview

2011-02-27T16:22:00.005-06:00

Tonight is Oscar Night! Let's get right to it.

Actress in a Supporting Role
I saw four of the five nominated performances, everybody except Jacki Weaver in "Animal Kingdom." This is a very strong category this year. My top two are Melissa Leo in "The Fighter" vs. Hailee Steinfeld in "True Grit." Steinfeld should have been nominated for Actress in a Leading Role (where she would have been crushed by Natalie Portman). But she wasn't, she was nominated in the Supporting Role category. Hers was an amazing performance, so I award the Boo Movies Oscar to Hailee Steinfeld.

Actor in a Supporting Role
Again, I saw four of the five nominated performances, everybody except Jeremy Renner in "The Town." There's no contest this time. Christian Bale dominated in "The Fighter." He is the winner of the Boo Movies Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

Actress in a Leading Role
Well, I only saw three of the five nominated performances, "The Kids Are All Right," "Winter's Bone" and "Black Swan." All the buzz says that Annette Benning will win. I don't get it. Benning gave a great performance, as did Jennifer Lawrence, but Natalie Portman owned the screen this year as the black swan. Congratulations to Natalie Portman, this year's recipient of the Boo Movies Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

Actor in a Leading Role
I didn't get to see Javier Bardem in "Biutiful," but I saw the rest. This is a tough one. I will be happy if either Jeff Bridges or Colin Firth goes home with the Oscar. But I am going to award the Boo Movies Oscar to Firth for his role in "The King's Speech."

Short Film (Live Action)
Now we cut to some attractive starlet they sent over the week before to hand out the Oscars in the categories that nobody cares about. Previously the Boo Movies Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film was awarded to "The Confession." Congratulations.

Best Picture
This year I succeeded and have seen all ten of the nominated movies. I am therefore qualified to give out this Oscar. It comes down to three, all of them 5 Boos recipients:

I loved them all. As great as it was "The Fighter" gets edged out (as opposed to knocked out) by the other two. I've gone back and forth between "Black Swan" and "The King's Speech." If either one wins, I'm very happy. But after much deliberation, I award the Boo Movies Oscar for Best Picture of 2010 to "Black Swan."

Cook up a big tub of popcorn, set up the DVR and enjoy the show.

The Underdog Triumphs

2011-02-27T16:21:00.001-06:00

Another great movie in this year's Oscar lineup. I loved everything about "The Fighter." The acting was outstanding across the board, as evidenced by three well-deserved Oscar nominations. It's great to see Amy Adams continue to branch out in the types of roles she takes. The characters were great, including even minor characters like the gaggle of sisters. I'm looking forward to reading up on Micky Ward to see if his family has even half as much "personality" as portrayed in this movie.

I rate "The Fighter" at 5 Boos.

Straight Man Sees Movie About Ballet

2011-02-25T18:04:00.004-06:00

Oooh, a movie about ballet! Where can I get a ticket? It turns out "Black Swan" is not your typical ballet movie. Is there a typical ballet movie?

This was a great movie. Remember all the whining about how intense "127 Hours" was supposed to be? Well this was the movie that had me on the edge of my seat throughout. This is definitely in contention to get my nod for Best Picture of 2010. Stay tuned on Oscar Day for my vote.

I rate "Black Swan" at 5 Boos.

Count Me Among the Dead

2011-02-20T19:37:00.002-06:00

Geez people! For all the hype and buzz I heard about "127 Hours," I thought I was going to spend 90 minutes watching this guy saw his arm off. It was nothing like that. It was a very good movie. Not the best movie of 2010, but very good nonetheless.

Had I been trapped under the rock, it's safe to say I'd still be there.

I rate "127 Hours" at 4 Boos.

And the Short Oscar Goes To

2011-02-18T20:10:00.006-06:00

I've wanted to do this for years and finally pulled it off this year. I saw all five nominees for the Live Action Short Films Oscar. In general I was surprised how long they were. Two were over 20 minutes. The shortest was 15 minutes. I'd really like to see something more in the neighborhood of 10 minutes. I love the idea of seeing what the writer and director could pull off in a super short time frame, not unlike the elegance required to successfully tweet.

So here we go, in alphabetical order:

"The Confession" (26 min)
Little kid's preparation for his first confession takes a tragic turn. This kid is gonna need a lot of therapy. It was gripping.

I rate "The Confession" at 4 Boos.

"The Crush" (15 min)
Little kid has crush on his teacher. Hi-jinks ensue. It started strong, but didn't keep the momentum.

I rate "The Crush" at 3 Boos.

"God of Love" (18 min)
Tale of a modern day cupid. Goofy and fun.

I rate "God of Love" at 4 Boos.

"Na Wewe" (19 min)
During the civil war in Burundi there is a confrontation over the occupants of a minibus. It was an intense scene, but didn't grab me.

I rate "Na Wewe" at 3 Boos.

"Wish 143" (24 min)
Cancer-stricken kid's request to wish-granting organization involves time alone with naked woman. I loved the premise, and especially the character of the priest who steps in to lend assistance.

I rate "Wish 143" at 4 Boos.

And the Short Oscar goes to... "The Confession." This is one that will be hard to get out of my head.

Mom, What's Uncle Jim Doing on Facebook?

2011-02-15T21:53:00.003-06:00

I signed up for Facebook very shortly after they opened it to the general public. At the time I thought it was pretty cool. I urged my contemporaries to join too. Most of them scoffed at me. I befriended my college-aged nephew who reportedly exclaimed, "Mom, what's Uncle Jim doing on Facebook? That's only for college kids." Well over time Facebook has changed. Many of the aforementioned contemporaries are now enthusiastic Facebookers. Meanwhile I've grown to... (I'm searching for a word that is reminiscent of "despise," but not quite as strong) ...Facebook.

That was the backdrop when I heard there was a fictionalized account of the creation of Facebook coming to a theater near me. I couldn't have been less interested in seeing "The Social Network." Then everybody started talking about how good it was. Still not interested. Then it was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. Dammit!

So in the end I had to see it. It turned out to be a pretty entertaining movie. Certainly more so than I would have predicted. It's not going to win Best Picture nod from me, but it's worth seeing.

I rate "The Social Network" at 4 Boos.

A Movie Less Than Ordinary

2011-02-12T22:43:00.001-06:00

During the final minutes of watching "A Life Less Ordinary," the dog farted. Like the movie it was a stinker.

I rate "A Life Less Ordinary" at 2 Boos.

Missouri Film Nominated for Second Year Running

2011-02-08T07:51:00.004-06:00

Next up in my Oscar viewing marathon was "Winter's Bone." I knew absolutely nothing about this movie when I sat down to watch it. It took me to a world that is not far from where I live, and yet it's a million miles away. No big stars, no big budget, but very well done.

It's not my pick for best movie of the year, but that should take nothing away from it. Kudos to my neighbors in southern Missouri for a great movie.

I rate "Winter's Bone" at 4 Boos.

Three's a Charm

2011-02-06T09:18:00.003-06:00

I had no intention of watching "Toy Story 3." Don't get me wrong, I loved TS 1 & 2. And I generally like everything Pixar has done. And I'm a big fan of Tom Hanks. But as a rule of thumb, once the second sequel arrives I'm out, unless there's a compelling reason to act otherwise. Along comes the Oscar nominations for Best Picture. I'm back in.

Well no surprise, it's really good. But surprise, it may indeed be my favorite of the Toy Story trilogy. I really admire the dark direction it went in. Is it the best movie of 2010? Of course not. But, it's really good, and worth watching.

I rate "Toy Story 3" at 4 Boos.

Shut the Front Door

2011-01-28T22:25:00.002-06:00

My quest to see all of the movies nominated for a Best Picture Oscar continues. The second one for today was "The Kids are All Right." An enjoyable flick. I'm not going to give it my best picture nod, but I definitely liked it.

I rate "The Kids Are All Right" at 4 Boos.

Shit Shit Shit Fuck Bugger

2011-01-28T18:05:00.003-06:00

I really enjoyed "The King's Speech" Any words I would use here would not be eloquent enough to do it justice. Just go see it.

I rate "The King's Speech" at 5 Boos.

Croupier a Sure Bet

2011-01-16T09:36:00.002-06:00

I saw "Croupier" at the theater when it first came out. It was my first exposure to Clive Owen. I was taken by his performance and have subsequently kept my eyes open for things he's in. I tend to like his movies. Recently I watched Croupier again, and I still think it's pretty good.

I rate "Croupier" at 4 Boos.

Old Grit

2011-01-16T00:55:00.007-06:00

It was a mistake to watch the new "True Grit" before the original. John Wayne's version probably would have stood on its own just fine. However the new one does it much better in just about every way, thereby making the old one kind of hard to watch.

It's too bad the Coen brothers couldn't get Glen Campbell to sing a theme song... Just kidding!

~~I rate 1969's "True Grit" at 3 Boos, (but I think I'm being nice).~~

UPDATE
After sleeping on it, I realize this grit was no longer true (sorry). Had I blogged about this in the 1960's, I probably would have given it 4 Boos. Had I blogged about it last year, prior to the Coen brothers' version, I probably would have given it 3 Boos. But the fact is, I'm blogging about it now, and it has been knocked from its pedestal. Sorry Mr. Wayne.

I rate 1969's "True Grit" at 2 Boos.

2010 - That's a Wrap!

2011-01-01T00:01:00.004-06:00

Boo Movies HQ was on the move in 2010. Consequently movie viewing was way down this year. I saw and rated only 30 movies, compared to average of 56 over the last three years. I only made it to the theater a paltry 6 times!

The average rating was 3.4 Boos, which is typical. Three perfect 5 Boos ratings were awarded, but sadly none of them where for a 2010 release. The best thing I saw was the "John Adams" miniseries from HBO. Since that was made as a TV miniseries, I'll give "Milk" the award for the best movie I saw in the past year. The movie I hated the most was "Alice in Wonderland". This should not be confused with "Scrooged" which was the worst movie I saw in 2010.

My goal for the coming year is to get back to the movies and especially back to the theater. First up I need to catch up on all of those great 2010 movies I missed. See you at the movies.

Iron Man 2 of 3

2010-12-31T17:53:00.003-06:00

"Iron Man 2" was not as good as the original, but it was still a very fun ride. It will very likely be my final movie of ~~2011~~ 2010, and it was a good way to end it.

I rate "Iron Man 2" at 4 Boos.

Coming Attractions

2010-12-31T17:41:00.002-06:00

While waiting for "True Grit" to begin I was treated to three previews that I think merit comment.

First up was "The Adjustment Bureau" starring Matt Damon. This movie looks fantastic. I love the premise, and desperately hope it is as good as it looks. I'm very excited to see this movie.

Next up was a preview for "The Rite". It's an exorcism movie starring Anthony Hopkins. Now movies of this nature often preview well, but don't deliver. I'm cautiously optimistic this one will actually be as good as it looks.

Lastly was what appeared to be another look at what really happened on the Apollo 11 moon mission. Clearly a cover-up had happened way back in the 60's. This looked really good, until we discovered the movie was another "Transformers" sequel. GROOOOOOOAN! I'm on record as hating this franchise. I'm very disappointed.

True Grit

2010-12-31T17:30:00.003-06:00

Let's begin with a confession. I have never seen the original 1969 "True Grit" starring John Wayne. When I was growing up I just never got into westerns. When I see one today, I tend to like it just fine, but they're not part of my movie heritage. I intend to see the original soon given that everyone says it's quite good. I anticipate an interesting comparison.

Meanwhile, back to 2010, I have watched the Coen brothers version and thought it was very good. They easily could have taken it to an extreme, and resisted the urge. The acting was great all the way around. Special kudos are due to Hailee Steinfeld who was fantastic in her first movie role.

I rate "True Grit" at 4 Boos.

Call Me a Scrooge, But It Was Pretty Bad

2010-12-27T00:34:00.002-06:00

I'm not saying I didn't enjoy it, but "Scrooged" was pretty bad. I think Bill Murray used the lessons learned here to more successfully make "Groundhog Day" five years later. Incidentally, the Ghost of Christmas Present was my favorite character in the movie.

I rate "Scrooged" at 1 Boo.

Holiday Inn (the movie, not the hotel chain)

2010-12-25T12:12:00.003-06:00

Continuing our tradition of catching up on classic holiday movies at Christmas time we watched 1942's "Holiday Inn" last night. It stars Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire and is best known as the popular introduction of the song "White Christmas". As old movies go, I liked this one. The acting seems more natural than others I've seen where the old style feels very stiff.

An intriguing aspect of the story is the character Lila who managed to dump both of the leading men basically at the altar. And yet there seems to be no hard feelings. Everybody manages to remain friends. I can only conclude that Lila must have been pretty good in the sack. We watched it on AMC, which edited out all of the naughty bits.

I rate "Holiday Inn" at 3 Boos.

We Interrupt Our Regularly Sched.... Arrrrgh Zombies!!!!

2010-12-25T10:24:00.003-06:00

I'm not in the habit of reviewing TV shows here at Boo Movies. However something amazing has happened that demands special action. Prompted by a positive review from a mainstream media TV critic, I somehow convinced my wife to watch "The Walking Dead" with me. It's another telling of the classic zombie tale, resplendent with visually juicy graphic detail. It abounds with shots of internal organs be ripped out, and plenty of great axe work. The amazement begins in that somehow my wife sat through six hours of this. Under normal circumstances she wouldn't have tolerated six seconds. Granted she covered her eyes and squealed like a girl, but she toughed through it. For this to have happened clearly there is something really special about "The Walking Dead". I'm looking forward to the second season.

I rate "The Walking Dead" at 4 Boos.

Hannibal Endures

2010-12-25T10:18:00.002-06:00

Time has been kind to "Hannibal". It does not feel at all like a 9 year old movie.

I rate "Hannibal" at 4 Boos.

I Think It Was a Comedy

2010-12-05T09:01:00.002-06:00

It took a bit to get into "The Informant". Once I got there, I really enjoyed it. Matt Damon's character is great.

I rate "The Informant" at 4 Boos.

Frost/Nixon at last

2010-11-25T00:44:00.006-06:00

I've been eager to see "Frost/Nixon" for two years and finally it happened. I found it fascinating. We saw it via HBO, but it would have been even more interesting to see the DVD version. I'm certain the DVD extras would have enhanced the experience. Subsequent reading on wiki gives a different spin on a number of events portrayed in the movie.

On a related note, if you get the chance to visit the Nixon Presidential Library & Museum (and grave) in Yorba Linda, California, I highly recommend that you do so. It is a really good one.

I rate "Frost/Nixon" at 4 Boos.

Hickenlooper's Finale

2010-11-14T22:29:00.001-06:00

I had the good fortune to attend the St. Louis premiere of the latest, and the last, George Hickenlooper film, "Casino Jack". George Hickenlooper died 2 weeks ago. George was one year behind me at SLUH, so we've known each other for over 30 years. It would be misleading to say we were great friends. George was very good friends with some of my very good friends. I would describe us as acquaintances, maybe acquaintances-plus. To be honest it always gave me a secret thrill when we'd cross paths over the years, and he would remember who I was. In 1999, I spent a day as an extra on "The Big Brass Ring". It was quite thrilling when I saw my face prominently displayed on the big screen. I've been bragging about it ever since. (Look for me shortly after the blow job scene.) I always liked to imagine that George had the option to use any of dozens of shots in that scene, but opted to use the shot of me just to be nice.

It was obvious way back when George was a freshman in high school that he had immense talent. There are very few people who made an impression on me as a freshman. In fact there are very few people who made an impression on me in high school period. George was special. In subsequent years every time I saw a George movie I marveled that some kid I knew in high school made the movie I was watching. I'm talking about real movies shown in theaters.

Casino Jack is a fascinating movie. When I heard George's latest project was about lobbyists, my first thought was, "Oh no, snoozefest." Ah, but I knew it was a George project so no worries. Sure enough, Jack Abramoff turns out to be a fascinating guy. I was further pleasantly surprised to find Jon Lovitz turned in a scene-stealing performance.

The buzz is that "Casino Jack" is George's best work, and that Kevin Spacey is in line to get an Oscar nomination. Both of those things may be true. However, I'm going to stick with "The Man from Elysian Fields" as my personal favorite. (You gotta love those movies about male prostitution, right?) Remember that kid I went to high school with? He directed Mick Jagger in a movie. How cool is that?

Meanwhile, back to the St. Louis premiere. Prior to the screening a highlight reel of George's career brought back some good memories, along with a reminder that I've missed a few along the way. Remembrances and tributes from family, friends and colleagues were heartfelt and humorous. The last of which was surprise guest Kevin Spacey himself, who seemed very sincere in his fondness for George. Following the movie, was a 90 minute Q&A with Spacey and co-star Spencer Garrett.

I rate "Casino Jack" at 4 Boos.

Farewell George. Thanks for the memories.

Dull Sim Funeral

2010-11-10T18:09:00.001-06:00

The premise seemed promising, but it just didn't deliver. I couldn't work up an emotion while watching this snoozer.

I rate "Dim Sum Funeral" at 2 Boos.

Starship Troopers Does Not Suck!

2010-11-01T19:03:00.002-05:00

To the untrained eye, "Starship Troopers" may seem to be just another bad sci-fi action flick. One might be fooled by the many flaws in this movie, not the least of which is bad acting. (Hello, Denise Richards.) However in the context of 1997, when it was released, the director's imaginings of interactive news (i.e. Internet 2.0 style) was way ahead of it's time. This is born out by watching it 13 years later and still it does not seem dated or hokey.

The plot is deeper than it appears on the surface. Many subtle touches, such as the "good guys" being dressed in uniforms that have an almost Nazi Germany feel about them, make this more than the splatterfest it would appear to be.

I've seen it several times over the years, but I must confess I was delighted to discover that it still seems fresh and exciting.

I rate "Starship Troopers" at 4 Boos.

I'm a Sucker for Time Travel Movies

2010-10-25T21:05:00.002-05:00

I love a good time travel movie, book or story. This one could have been a bit more time-travely, but I'm not complaining. I saw this when it first came out in 2002, and having just rewatched it, I must say it stands the test of time. Sorry, I couldn't resist.

I rate "The Time Machine" at 4 Boos.

Duplicity

2010-10-25T21:01:00.003-05:00

I loved Clive Owen's performance in "Croupier" way back in 1998. His role in "Duplicity" brought me back to that place.

I rate "Duplicity" at 4 Boos.

Not Asstastic

2010-09-13T06:33:00.002-05:00

...but it was cute.

I rate "Couples Retreat" at 3 Boos.

Breaking Away Still Rides Strong

2010-09-04T17:32:00.002-05:00

Thirty-one years later "Breaking Away" remarkably holds its own. This is not to be confused with the fashion and hair styles depicted. What were we thinking?

I rate "Breaking Away" at 3 Boos.

Saw Milk?

2010-08-15T20:44:00.004-05:00

I've been wanting to see "Milk" ever since it was nominated for Best Picture a year and a half ago. I finally saw it, and it was outstanding. Ironically, before the nomination I had zero interest in seeing it. Sean Penn was fantastic as Harvey Milk. Given that he won an Oscar for his performance, I guess I'm not revealing anything new.

The story is fascinating. It's amazing how far we come, and yet, how far we have to go.

I rate "Milk" at 5 Boos.

Inception

2010-07-23T23:05:00.002-05:00

There's a lot going on in "Inception". Really too much to possibly catch every detail. But I do know this. If I was trapped in limbo for 50 years, I would certainly dream up some baristas to man the coffee shops.

I rate "Inception" at 4 Boos.

Lots of Naked Dudes in A Single Man

2010-07-12T18:58:00.003-05:00

I thought the acting was great. The highlight was the main character's preparations. But overall the story left me a little empty. I can't quite put my finger on what went wrong.

I rate "A Single Man" at 2 Boos.

Best Supporting Actress Nomination? That's Crazy

2010-07-03T07:43:00.003-05:00

There were a lot of good things about "Crazy Heart". The music and singing were good. Jeff Bridges did a great job. In fact they even gave him a little award known as Oscar for his performance.

But I had big issues with "Crazy Heart". Specifically the Maggie Gyllenhaal character. Something went terribly wrong with both the premise and the delivery. First up, why would that pretty young woman fall for that loser? For it to be even slightly believable there should have been a back story explaining her self esteem issues. Alternately, they could have made that character a down-on-her-luck slightly haggy forty-something. I could have bought into that.

Gyllenhaal's delivery was terrible too, and yet she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress. What's up with that? I theorize nobody is a good enough actress to pull off this ludicrous premise. So they nominated her just for trying - an A-for-effort thing, if you will.

My recommendation is to watch "Crazy Heart" to enjoy the musical performances, and to watch Jeff Bridges, just try to ignore the plot. Oh, and you might want to close your eyes during the make out scenes.

I rate "Crazy Heart" at 2 Boos.

Shutter Island

2010-06-11T13:34:00.001-05:00

Good suspense. It went in a direction that I did not anticipate.

I rate "Shutter Island" at 4 Boos.

The Road

2010-05-30T23:28:00.003-05:00

I don't think it's giving anything away to reveal there are no funny bloopers after the credits of "The Road".

I rate "The Road" at 4 Boos.

Worse Than I Thought

2010-05-30T12:21:00.002-05:00

Two months to the day after my scathing review of "Alice in Wonderland" I'm reading the newspaper only to discover it was a sequel! Boy oh boy did I hate that movie.

I'm Just Not a Wonderland Kind of Guy

2010-03-30T22:57:00.003-05:00

I did not want to see "Alice in Wonderland". Unfortunately circumstances worked against me and I found myself in the theatre wearing 3-D glasses. I enjoyed the first 10 minutes until Alice fell down the rabbit hole. From that point forward I could not wait for this movie to end. Many of the individual characters were interesting, but that was about it. This was probably a good movie, but man oh man, I was not in the target demographic.

I rate "Alice in Wonderland" at 1 Boo.

Precious

2010-03-28T23:00:00.004-05:00

Wow! "Precious" was everything I heard it was and then some. I am not even qualified to comment on the content of this movie, and that's a good thing. It was a worthy contender as a nominated film for the Best Picture Oscar.

~~I rate "Precious" at 4 Boos. And to be honest, after I sleep on it I may come back and bump it up.~~

Upon further reflection that movie was so disturbing I just don't know how they could have done it any better. I rate "Precious" at 5 Boos.

Saving Silverman

2010-03-23T22:13:00.002-05:00

We have just been granted 3 free months of HBO. Consequently I expect the random quotient of the movies I review to increase. First up, "Saving Silverman" from 2001. With each passing moment it got stupider and stupider. However, Steve Zahn and Jack Black are masters of doing stupid well. It was a funny movie. Granted one has to be in the right mood to enjoy this level of stupid. Apparently I was right there tonight.

I rate "Saving Silveman" at 3 Boos.

THE BEST THING I'VE WATCHED IN YEARS

2010-03-17T21:28:00.007-05:00

Two years later I finally got around to watching the HBO miniseries "John Adams". It was outstanding. I was absolutely fascinated. Everything about it was great, the acting, the costumes, the writing, the cinematography, the history, the whole ball of wax.

There were so many aspects to this story that amazed me. For example the wigs and clothes the men wore is beyond comprehension in today's world. The portrayal of George Washington was riveting. I've never seen him move or speak. In my mind George was nothing more than a profile on a dollar bill. Given the medical knowledge of the day, I find myself surprised that the human species even lived through it. And high society in France at the end of the eighteenth century, wow!

I look back on all the time in school spent in history class. I now feel like it was a complete waste. If American History taught in school today is still anything like when I attended, they should trash the whole program. Just show this miniseries, and discuss between episodes. Students will get a far superior understanding of the founding of our country.

I cannot recommend it highly enough. Only rarely do I watch something a second time, but I anticipate that someday I'd love to watch "John Adams" again. Kudos to everyone involved it's creation.

I rate the HBO miniseries "John Adams" at 5 Boos.

Boo Movies FIVE YEAR Anniversary

2010-03-07T08:36:00.004-06:00

It's Oscar day, and life has once again prevented me from succeeding in my quest to see all of the Best Picture nominated films. I have seen 7 of 10, everything except "The Hurt Locker", "Precious" and "Up". (Off topic: I'm aware that my placement of commas and periods outside of the quotation marks is technically incorrect. However, I believe the people who designed the English language got it wrong, and I refuse to support that error.) It's especially disturbing that I haven't found time to see "The Hurt Locker" as the buzz suggests it's one of the contenders to win. For many well documented reasons (e.g. the St. Louis connection, the Michael Beugg connection) I would love love love if "Up in the Air" swept every category it's nominated in. The other two movies that would also make me very happy if one of them was to win are "District 9" and "Inglorious Basterds". But let's face it, that's not going to happen. I must also add that while "Avatar" was an great movie on many levels, it is certainly not Best Picture worthy. If it wins, as I fear it might, I'll lose a lot of respect for the Academy voters.

I thought all of the Best Picture nominees I saw were very good movies. In fact I gave every one of the a 4 Boos rating. (Correction: I gave "Avatar" a 3 Boos rating.) Oddly (not really), my only 5 Boos rated movie of 2009, "Star Trek", is mysteriously missing from the list of nominees.

In regard to the category Actor in a Supporting Role, even though I saw only 3 of the 5 performances, I find it unimaginable that the ones I missed could possibly outshine Woody Harrelson in "The Messenger".

Lastly I'm rooting for Anna Kendrick for Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance in "Up in the Air" (there it is again).

Cook up a big bucket o' popcorn, set up the DVR so you don't miss a moment, and enjoy the show. I will.

Go Woody! Go Beugg! Go St. Louis! And the Oscar goes to...

Blind Sided Me

2010-03-06T22:35:00.003-06:00

When I saw the previews for "The Blind Side" I immediately assumed it was another formulaic underdog sports movie, ala "Glory Road" and the ilk. I was quite shocked when the Oscar nominations came out and it was on the list for Best Picture. So with an open mind I saw it tonight, and it was quite good. Best Picture? Not so much. But quite good nonetheless.

I rate "The Blind Side" at 4 Boos.

Taking My Time on Woodstock

2010-03-06T22:31:00.003-06:00

Well I saw "Taking Woodstock" weeks ago. I've just never found the motivation to write my review. It was perfectly enjoyable. It's light, and kind of fun. I don't think I gained any historical insight into the Woodstock experience. There are lots of naked hippies, so if you're into that kind of thing...

I rate "Taking Woodstock" at 3 Boos.

Avatar, At Last

2010-02-07T23:04:00.002-06:00

I finally got around to seeing Avatar. I went in with mixed expectations, and it delivered exactly as I predicted. The technology and the visuals were very impressive. The 3-D was interesting, and not too over the top. I was willing to pay $12.50 this one time to experience this new technology that is the talk of the town. However it was not so impressive that I anticipate I'll be willing to pay that kind of premium in the future.

The movie itself was too long. A good editor could have sliced 30 minutes out with no problem. The story was fine, but predictable. Overall, it was an enjoyable movie, and I'm glad I saw it. It's nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. It won't be getting my vote.

I rate "Avatar" at 3 Boos.

Engage

2010-02-07T22:59:00.002-06:00

Star Trek... The Borg... Time travel... What's not to like?

I rate "Star Trek: First Contact" at 3 Boos.

We Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Programming

2010-01-26T22:23:00.003-06:00

I'm working my way through the HBO miniseries "John Adams." So far it's excellent. They'll really have to stray off course in a dramatic way to not get an excellent Boo rating. But that's not why I'm here right now. I just have to say that the wigs are amazing! I can barely take my eyes off of them. For years I've proclaimed the idiocy of the American man's suit and tie, specifically the tie part. But wow, the wigs. I'm speechless. I cannot even fathom how they looked at each other and kept a straight face.

Boys Behaving Badly

2010-01-24T21:00:00.003-06:00

"The Hangover" had a lot of funny moments. It was raunchy as promised, but rose above its genre.

I rate "The Hangover" at 3 Boos.

A Dubious Start

2010-01-04T21:45:00.003-06:00

Well the first movie I watched in 2010 was on Lifetime. Need I say more?

I rate "Friends with Money" at 3 Boos.

2009 - That's a Wrap

2010-01-01T00:01:00.005-06:00

In 2009 I rated 54 movies here at Boo Movies. This is slightly fewer than last year, but in the same ballpark. The average rating was 3.48 Boos, a notable uptick from last year's average.

Two movies were given a perfect 5 Boos rating. One of which was new in 2009, "Star Trek." Indeed I declare "Star Trek" the best movie of the year. In fact it received the first 5 Boos rating I've given to a current movie since 2006.

The worst rating given this year was 2 Boos, and only five movies received it. Happily none of them were 2009 movies. I declare "Pineapple Express" as the worst movie I saw this year.

For the first time in 2009 I began tracking movies watched in the theater versus at home. In this context "home" includes DVD, pay-per-view and broadcast TV. I saw 21 movies in a theater compared to 33 at home. That's only 39% seen in the theater. I'd like to see that percentage go up in the future.

A 2009 highlight was watching the filming of "Up in the Air" in St. Louis. Thanks to good friend Michael Beugg for a behind-the-scenes peek, and the VIP tickets to the St. Louis premiere.

I picked up a handful of new readers this year. Welcome brother. Welcome niece. Comments remained few and far between, but I welcome them all. If you have an opinion about something you read here, speak up and share it. I'm accustomed to and not bothered by contrary opinions (hello coworkers).

2009 also marked the first time I included a picture with a Boo Movies posting. Can you find it? Technology these days, wow!

I declare 2009 a really good year for the movies. Average scores were up. Perfect scores were up. Readership was up. Movies made in St. Louis were up. See you at the movies.

New Year's Eve Movie Triumvirate

2009-12-31T23:59:00.003-06:00

Well three movies does not a marathon make, but it's still a good day.

The day began with "Invictus," the latest Morgan Freeman / Clint Eastwood pairing. As usual, it was very good. I was lucky in that I did not know the true story going in, thus the suspense was better. I recommend this movie.

Next up, I watched "Arlington Road." I was surprised to discover after watching it that this movie is 10 years old. It has stood the test of time. Another movie that the less you know going in, the better. I recommend this movie too.

Finally, I decided to ring in the new year with a guaranteed winner. I opted to watch "Little Miss Sunshine" again. It's still excellent. If you haven't seen it yet, do so.

I rate "Invictus" at 4 Boos.
I rate "Arlington Road" at 4 Boos.
I previously rated "Little Miss Sunshine." Read my earlier review here.

Message to the Academy, Nominate Woody

2009-12-31T10:00:00.003-06:00

The acting in this movie was superb. Woody Harrelson needs to be nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role.

I rate "The Messenger" at 4 Boos.

In the Days Before Email

2009-12-28T13:21:00.003-06:00

It's a well established fact that I'm not a big fan of old movies. They just don't do it for me. However I had occasion to watch 1940's "The Shop Around the Corner" last night. It is the inspiration for the more recent "You've Got Mail." I enjoyed it. In fact I enjoyed it more than I enjoy most old black & white movies. I think that young actor named Jimmy Stewart might even have a future.

I rate "The Shop Around the Corner" at 3 Boos.

The Willage

2009-12-28T12:32:00.003-06:00

I saw M. Night's "The Village" at the theatre when it first came out. However that was in a long-forgotten era before Boo Movies existed. So I'll review it now having just rewatched it on DVD. I really liked it the first time I saw it. However, it's the type of movie that once you know when it's going to happen, there's really no point in watching it again. The suspense and lack of knowledge is what makes the movie work.

I rate "The Village" at 4 Boos (for the first viewing only).

Sherlock Downey Jr.

2009-12-28T12:10:00.002-06:00

I'm liking Robert Downey Jr. more and more every time I see him. His latest is no exception. Although I will say that I'm more excited about the sequel to "Iron Man" than I am about the sequel to "Sherlock Holmes."

I rate "Sherlock Holmes" at 4 Boos.

Things From 1963

2009-12-27T20:50:00.004-06:00

"The Great Escape" was born the same year as me, and we're both still kicking. I've seen this movie countless times over the years. Despite that it stands the test of time. It's been a long time since I've last seen it and in the intervening years they've invented something called the internet. I took the opportunity to research the real story starting on wiki, and branching out from there. It was fascinating to read the history and compare it to the movie portrayal. Check it out.

I rate "The Great Escape" at 5 Boos.

Thirteen is Neither Lucky Nor Unlucky, It's Just There

2009-12-26T15:27:00.003-06:00

I enjoyed the first one. I can't remember the second one, although I'm sure I probably saw it. This one was a perfectly pleasant continuation of the franchise. Certainly nothing to get excited about, but a pleasant two hour distraction.

I rate "Ocean's Thirteen" at 3 Boos.

Perfect Timing or The Christmas Miracle

2009-12-26T15:13:00.004-06:00

Under any other circumstances I would have to slam "A Christmas Story" as just plain awful. (Since they all run together, remember this is the one where Ralphie wants a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas.) However, we watched this movie on Christmas Eve. Because of that timing it felt right, so I am elevating my rating.

I rate "A Christmas Story" at 3 Boos on Christmas Eve, and only on Christmas Eve.

I Liked Both Halves

2009-12-26T15:06:00.002-06:00

I've heard that many critics, both professional and amateur, have praised the Julia (Meryl Streep) half of "Julie & Julia" but panned the Julie (Amy Adams) half. I disagree. I enjoyed both halves equally, and thought they played well off each other.

I rate "Julie & Julia" at 4 Boos.

It's No Little Miss Sunshine

2009-12-21T23:17:00.003-06:00

It's impossible to watch "Happy Texas" without drawing comparisons to "Little Miss Sunshine." H.T. was not that good. But it did have some really funny moments.

I rate "Happy Texas" at 4 Boos.

I Nearly Forgot I Got An Education

2009-12-18T22:14:00.005-06:00

I realize I neglected to rate "An Education" even though I saw it weeks ago. It made me uncomfortable. It's funny how creepy pedophiles do that. It was quite good.

I rate "An Education" at 4 Boos.

Half a Boo Per Christmas

2009-12-13T11:13:00.002-06:00

"Four Christmases" was cute and predictable. It had some genuinely funny moments. But it was missing that Christmas feel that we were searching for after decorating the tree.

I rate "Four Christmases" at 2 Boos.

Sandra Bullock and the Younger Man

2009-12-02T06:18:00.004-06:00

It was cute. It was enjoyable.

I rate "The Proposal" at 3 Boos.