my brief thoughts on.... 'Observe and Report'

i have a feeling that there are a lot of people out there that really dislike this movie.... and those who really love it.... i just don't think it's a middle of the road movie.... it even shocked me a bit.... but in the end, i really enjoyed this and i ended up buying it for my DVD library.... i've since watched it several times and it's just bizarre enough and mean spirited enough that it's what i would call a guilty pleasure.... now if you like your comedy clear cut and ha ha funny, this may not be for you.... it's more of a dark comedy with not many redeeming qualities.... the characters tend to be unlikeable, but in an anti-hero kind of way.... you find yourself rooting for the lesser of all evil's.... it reminded me of a 'Death to Smoochy' kind of movie.... (which i also own and love....)....

Seth Rogan shines as the lead in the movie.... he plays Ronnie Barnhardt the head of mall security at a large mall.... he has bigger asperations to be a police officer, but has several issues and can't pass the tests.... he's in love with the girl at the makeup counter and tries to woo her at any chance he can get.... meanwhile, there's a flasher on the loose and someone who's robbed the mall.... Ronnie tries to solve the case before the police do and goofy stuff happens.... Ray Liotta plays the cop who's working to solve the case and he plays off Seth Rogan beautifully....
there are a lot of funny moments in this movie, along with male full frontal nudity.... Anna Feris plays a great bitch and her drunk scene is disturbing but pretty damn funny in a twisted kind of way.... there's just so many things wrong with this movie, but in turn that's what makes it work.... you find yourself in so many uncomfortable situations that when the punchline hits you're so relieved that you're out of that situation that you can't help but laugh.... or rewind the movie to make sure you saw or heard what you thought you did.... i found this to be a 4 out of 5 star comedy.... i look forward to hear someone else's opinion on this movie.... as i don't know that i know anyone who's seen it.... it's not going to change the face of comedy, however it made me appreciate Seth Rogan a bit more.... and the fact that certain people should not be nude.

if you like this, watch: 'Zack and Miri Make a Porno', 'Step Brothers', and 'Death to Smoochy'

my thoughts on.... 'The Short Films of David Lynch'

David Lynch is an artist.... one of a very small group of living artists that i can honestly say that i respect.... it took me a while to understand the mind of David Lynch and to appreciate his films.... but now, i watch and re-watch his films getting something new out of them everytime.... i wait for his next projects to emerge.... and i appreciate the dedication that he has to his art.... it's rare to find someone who basically lives for creation and the joy of new ideas.... whether or not you can appreciate him the way that i do, you have to respect his vision and his never compromise attitude.

this collection of 6 short films is a compilation of his earliest work and some other more recent pieces of work.... it's a nice cross-section of his non-feature length films.... not all of these are stand out examples of what he's capable of, but every artist has to experiment to find his voice.... that's kind of what some of this is, watching someone figure out who they are on film.... so you kind of have to take these with a grain of salt.... don't expect them all to be 4 star films and you won't be disappointed....
(these descriptions are being paraphrased from Netflix....)
1) 'Six Men Getting Sick': this is David Lynch's very first film.... it's a one minute loop of an art installation.... it was originally projected over a sculpture.... the film describes it perfectly, it's 6 men's heads getting sick and vomiting....
2) 'The Alphabet': this is a 5 minute short that David Lynch describes as an illustration of "the fear of learning".... it's a blend of live-action and animation.... where the alphabet is basically being 'born'....
3) 'The Grandmother': in this film, a little boy who's been mistreated by his parents decides to grow his own grandmother.... so he plants a seed and gets his wish, at least for a little while....
4) 'The Amputee': David Lynch is actually in this live-action comedy short.... he plays the nurse.... while he attempts to clean her wounds, she is oblivious to all of the horrible things happening at the same time....
5) 'The Cowboy and the Frenchman': this comedy was produced by French television and shows a stereotypical Frenchmen being thrust into the middle of some cowboys and a native American.... it stars one of David Lynch's favorites, Harry Dean Stanton....
6) 'Lumiere': this is a 52-second, single-take short film.... it was filmed with Auguste and Louis Lumiere's original Cinematographe, which was the cutting edge of film technology in 1895....

there may be times during this 6 films that you have to struggle a bit.... as they can be slow or seem repetitive.... but if you persist, you'll find something unique in each of them to enjoy.... and for those of you who are fans of David Lynch, this is a must.... those of you who aren't, may want to start elsewhere in his library of film and television.... i ended up only give this 3 out of 5 stars.... which is unusual for a Lynch film from me.... but it's a rounded off score based on a rating given to each short film.... like i said already, some are better than others....

if you like this, watch: 'Eraserhead', 'The Elephant Man', or 'Inland Empire'

this is David Lynch's short film: 'The Alphabet'.... to give you an idea of what to expect:

my brief thoughts on.... 'The Sarah Silverman Program' and 'Jesus is Magic'

i like Sarah Silverman.... i'm not sure why exactly, but i do.... i'd never seen her stand up.... or her show.... so i figured it was time.... plus Brian Posehn is in it and i really enjoy his work.... anyway.... i saw it finally appear OnDemand on Netflix for season 1 and 2 as well as her 'Jesus is Magic' special.... so i added them all.... and sat down to see what all the fuss was about and to possibly give myself an actual reason to like her.... about midway through the first episode, i could already see myself enjoying the series.... it was just absurd enough for my tastes.... there were some uncomfortable moments and some laugh out loud moments.... overall it was a fun experience.... i didn't realize how mean spirited it was going to be in places, but yet it had it's semi-touching moments.... Sarah's character is not very likable.... she's self-centered, rather mean to the people around her.... she's not very smart in a lot of ways.... she does a LOT of stupid things and gets away with them.... i could see a lot of people really not liking this.... because people want to connect with the characters on the show.... and that's where the rest of the cast comes in.... they make up for downfalls.... not too mention her dog Doug....

the basic premise is that Sarah lives in an apartment that her sister pays for.... she's jobless and has two gay neighbors.... she lives with her dog and does goofy things all day long.... her sister (played by her real life sister) is in love with a cop whom Sarah hates, but he's always getting her out of jams regardless.... and that's about the whole premise of the show.... and from this we get 21 minutes of comedy....
i gave it 4 out of 5 stars.... i'm still not 100% sure why.... and i'm still not sure why i enjoy her work.... i guess it's a guilty pleasure of sorts.... by watching it, it allows you to live through her.... and do and say all of the things you may have wanted to, but couldn't.... because you had a filter for saying awful things.... Sarah doesn't.... after i watched the first season, i ended up watching the full 2nd season as well as the 'Jesus is Magic' stand up special.... this stand up was even harder to watch then the show was at times.... she leaves no taboo topic untouched.... and despite that, i still gave it 3 out of 5 stars.... and i admit that i enjoyed it all.... however, i have a feeling that God may strike me down because of it.... and if you've seen the show or the special, then you know why.... i can't wait for season 3....

if you like this, watch: 'The Sarah Silverman Program: season 2 - volume 1', 'The Sarah Silverman Program: season 2 - volume 2' and 'Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic'

(there is no trailer for this movie to embed.)

my brief thoughts on.... 'American Zombie'

let me just start by saying this isn't your traditional shambling zombie movie.... or even your "BRAINS!" zombie movie.... these zombies are undead, walking, talking near humans.... as a matter of fact, you could barely tell they were undead unless you knew it.... it's an interesting premise to do this in a documentary style and to get some questions answered that you've maybe always wondered about.... it bothered me at first that they were normal talking people.... but they kind of explained it all by how there are 3 different kinds of zombies.... and each one functions at a different level.... the base level zombies are more of what we're all familiar with.... the next level can do basic things and work jobs, but aren't really high functioning.... and the highest level are basically human.... either way, over time i got used to it and just enjoyed the movie for what it was.... a mockumentary about zombies just trying to fit in and their annual gathering 'Live Dead'....

the plot involves several featured zombies and their different lives.... and it all leads up to the big gathering at the end.... it's hard to describe a plot to a documentary.... right....?all in all a worthwhile film.... 3 out of 5 stars.... for another take on an old theme, this my be for you.... just be prepared for something new.... i don't think i could enjoy a full length movie where the zombies are this human like.... i think the zombies in 'Return of the Living Dead' are about as verbal as i want them to get.... anyway.... check it out.... it's unique.

if you like this: call the director and ask them to make a sequel, because there isn't anything else quite like this.

my brief thoughts on.... 'Delicatessen'

for those of you who've never seen a Jean Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro film.... you're missing out on near pitch perfect filmaking.... sadly, they don't work together anymore.... but they're still putting out amazing work on their own.... now, i've seen 'Delicatessen' many times before.... but i just re-watched it this week.... and it's still as strong as it ever was.... i highly recommend you watch it as soon as possible.... the story, the cinematography, the acting, the script, the characters, the music.... everything is amazing.... however, that can be said of anything with their name on it....

this movie tells the, what seems to be, post-apocalyptic tale of an apartment where the butcher runs the place and continually hires new handymen to fatten them up to serve to the tennants as meat.... food is in short supply and all has gone to hell in this world.... the tennants know the deal and are in on it.... it's no secret.... however, when the new handyman moves in, the butcher's daughter takes a shine to him and doesn't want him killed.... he's a former circus star and a very likable guy.... the rest of the story just has to be seen to be believed.... it's bizarre and wonderful....i put this in my top 50 films of all time.... as with their other film, 'City of Lost Children'.... if you can stand French subtitles and like your movies off the beaten path, then this is one for you.... 5 out of 5 stars hands down.... i only wish i could watch it again with fresh eyes so i could experience the joy of not knowing what was going to happen next.... but it still holds up as an amazing piece of art....

other Jeunet and/or Caro films: 'City of Lost Children', 'Amelie' and 'A Very Long Engagement'