Very entertaining while you’re watching it…but discussing it afterward, you come up with a lot of holes.
Seemed like the filmmakers had established a couple “rules” about the various “vantage points” at the beginning, but those start to fall apart midway through and then it’s a free for all.
Some good performances, completely enjoyable…but not quite what it could have been.
Totally fun, exhilarating monster movie! Kind-of reminded me of “Signs” / one of those “you think it’s going to turn out to be psychological or Blair Witch-y but No! There are actual monsters! Yay!”
Now that I’ve seen it, I think the EW review was way off-base. The video backstory totally sucked me in and made me care about these characters. Very effective use of mostly little-known actors. Great New York destruction scenery. Thrilling, scary, (occasionally gross,) and awesome. I loved it. (My dad did too.)
Tour de force performance by Daniel Day Lewis.
Good, but difficult to watch, movie. One of those “oh it was a good movie but really? I don’t ever want to see it again, I don’t know if I could make it through” movies.
A demonstration of the myth behind the American dream.
The myth = work really hard and you’ll become a millionaire and have everything you want.
The truth = work really hard, be ruthless, aggressive, villainous and hard and then maybe you’ll become a millionaire and have everything you want.
Very effective soundtrack. So effective that at a couple points I wanted to stand up and scream JUST TURN THE MUSIC OFF! Really got under your skin, made me completely anxious, heart racing, even in scenes where it didn’t need to be yet.
Powerful and vicious. Felt like checking for dirt under my fingernails as we left the theater.
Cool setup/scenario. Nice spy/action stuff. But reads more like a screenplay than a “novel” really; when’s the movie coming out??? 🙂
Good airport book!
Science reading for non scientists. Great conversational tone / these are “transcribed” from three lectures he gave; there were a few spots that in person/out loud were probably very funny although a bit dry on the page.
Really, really enjoyed the first two sections / the third is (as he announces at the outset) a bit of a ramble and it lost my attention a few times. But worth reading nonetheless.
Thoughtful and concise and ready to converse. Written in ’63 (if I recall, book’s not next to me) but still very relevant today.
The February book in Dad’s and my reading challenge.
Eastern European classic, Dad bought it years ago based on a Kundera recommendation. Total farce, hilarious comic novel. Bumbling anti-hero, a miserable idiot…or is he? Really a lot of fun to read. The never-ending “Well that reminds me of” stories and the contretemps…just indescribable. We both loved it. Humbly report, sir…
Somewhat in the tradition of Don Quixote or Tristram Shandy, although Svejk is a bit more self aware than DQ.
Bitter, dark, magical and mysterious. Couldn’t put it down!
Fans of Justine Larbalestier or Margo Lanagan would like this, I would think, although Marrije said she couldn’t get into it the first time around.
Bought:
Always behind the times as I am, I picked up this 2003 release at Green Apple on my trip to San Fran last month. Not only had I never heard of this album, I didn’t know Andrew Kenny (or his band American Analog) or the Home series itself (which offers other interesting pairings such as Bright Eyes/Britt Daniel).
So pleased I bought this. Lovely quiet little songs. Subtle and sweet. Here’s a longer review if you need one.
Gibbard’s Death Cab band mate has a solo album out (out now, currently, not four years ago — in case you’re wondering) and it’s getting good reviews everywhere I look. But so far I really haven’t been tempted — it’s Gibbard’s voice that really makes Death Cab for me; and you get a nice dose of it here on these four solos.
On my cab ride in this morning, I had the horror of listening to an interview with some completely nuts evangelical who I believe was named Richard Lamb (?? not that I really care if I am accurate on the dude’s name) all about the sanctity of marriage and how evangelicals will never vote for a Demoractic (i.e., pro choice) candidate and blah blah blah.
Despite the horror (I seriously got the gag reflex at one point, his comments were so ridiculous), and again wondering what it is about the SEPARATION of church and state that people such as he refuse to understand…he did provide a moment of humor when he commented on the current battle for the Democratic nomination:
I feel sorry for Senator Clinton. She’s trying to conduct a job interview and Obama’s on a date.
Hilarious and very accurate of how the campaigns are being run / experienced by the public, I’d say.