Lock, Stock, and Two Film Geeks

Iron Man 2 hit theaters just last Friday to favorable commercial and critical success.  In the film, Robert Downey Jr. and Mickey Rourke play enemies due to a generation-old betrayal, with one family being disgraced, and the other having acted disgracefully.                                                                        

Perhaps it was by mere coincidence that these individuals were cast as men who have, in one way or another, fallen from grace and must fight their way back to the top.  There aren’t many people like Mickey Rourke and Robert Downey Jr., who are as famous for their self-destruction as they are for their immense talent.

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Letters to Boo-liet. 1/4

Hoping to latch onto fans of Twilight and Nicholas Sparks, Letters to Juliet isn’t hopelessly romantic so much as it is just plain hopeless.  What’s more frightening is girls from the ages of 14 to young women in their mid to late twenties (or tweenties maybe?) will be coming in droves to see this saccharine disaster.

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Too Small, No Caption

So, last week, when I was leaving the FilmGeeks Offices – I could have sworn there was someone following me through the parking lot.  He/She was like 5’6” and kept making weird dinosaur noises.  That Jurassic Park article really put me on the map, and I think I may have a stalker.  If any of you are stalking me – please leave a comment at the bottom.  And I have pepper spray in my purse.

So, now that I’ve got that nonsense off my chest, I can tell you what I slaved over for the last few weeks.  Lost City, a (let me see if I’ve got this right) “Science Fiction adventure serial told in 12 amazing parts” from 1935 is my next gargantuan project on the chopping block.  And, man, this sucker looks like it’s going to take a few swings.  I also want to get in a little disclaimer: When I first heard the synopsis, I thought “Cool!  A lost city!”  What do I get?  The “city” is just  like four hallways and a supply closet.  Go figure. Continue reading

We enter another week of “Taking Stock,” our weekly column in which the entire staff tells you what they think of the movies coming out this week based on very little knowledge and first impressions.  So irresponsible of us.

Iron Man 2

James: Do I really need to tell you how I feel about this one?  The reviews aren’t quite what I hoped but I still plan to have a ball.

Benn:  Having seen the midnight showing of the film, it’s not as good as the first, and it suffers from “Sequel Syndrome” (more is better, or so the execs may think).  Still, Downey, Rourke and Rockwell are solid.  See it.

Dylan: Sure, it’s not as good as the first, but it’s still an awesome movie. Went to the midnight showing and loved every moment. See it now and watch the trailer for J.J Abram’s super secret project Super 8. Boner!

Fil:  Was definitely looking forward to this.  Saw it at midnight.  Enjoyed the hell out of it.

Anna: I’m seeing it tonight. The trailers were enticing, especially with Rourke. I’ve heard it doesn’t live up to the first, but I still expect something decent.

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This time around I have a slightly classic recommendation for you.  Movie experts have long praised Ran as not only one of the better foreign films, but one of the best films ever.  IMDB’s top 250 (hardly a home for sophisticated criticism, but still an easy place to start when looking to build the “canon” of film) places the film at #143 currently, which is nothing to sneeze at in terms of rankings.  And as someone who’s already seen Seven Samurai and Rashomon, it seemed time to take the next step in my education on the works of Akira Kurosawa.  For those who don’t know, Kurosawa is essentially the most heralded auteur in Japanese Cinema history.  He’s known for long, epic, period pieces primarily set in feudal Japan.  He’s not the most accessible filmmaker by any means, but a full viewing of his better films is always rewarding to those who have the patience.  Ran is no less trying when it comes to its commitment requirements, but I found it incredibly immersing and an amazing film overall. Continue reading

In 2009, Swedish film Let The Right One In opened in the U.S. and achieved a considerable amount of success critically, as well as commercially (as far as foreign films are concerned).  This year, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo conquered the literary world and made quite an impact on the big screen.  Needless to say, it’s been a very good few years for the Swedish film industry.

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Beetle Juice is the center of attention as we discuss Tim Burton’s body of work.

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