Time to get started on some new viewing pleasures/ displeasures!

I saw the new Indiana Jones film, The Kingdom of the Lost Skull, at midnight. Let me preface this commentary by saying that Harrison Ford has been my favorite actor since I saw the first Star Wars film. The Indiana Jones films are very high on my listing of best liked/ most watched movies.

Since the film was released today, I'm not going to spoil things by giving away the plot.

The latest film in the series was very entertaining. The dialogue was typical of what I've come to expect from Lucas, the directing by Spielberg appropriately unnoticed. Beautiful scenery, the cinematography lovely. Gross special effects...Industrial Light and Magic's work superb, as usual.

I only had one problem with the dang thing. It was way too freaking corny. Way.

Anyone else see anything good, lately? Tell us all about it!!!

We're off to see Indy tomorrow. I don't have high hopes because Spielberg hasn't made a good film in a long, long time and George Lucas has proven in the past ten years that he has lost any measure of self criticism that he may have had. Having said that, it's Indiana Jones, so as long as it's fun and exciting then it will have ticked the only two boxes that it really needs to.

I saw Iron Man last week and really enjoyed it a lot, mainly down to the performances and the unhurried approach it took to getting to the action going. It kind of bailed out towards the end with a been there done that finale, but overall this was one of my favourite comic book hero movies.

Another film I saw a few weeks ago which I would recommend is The Savages. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney play not especially close siblings faced with the decision of what to do with their elderly father who is being asked to leave the retirement home he lives in because of the onset of dementia. I know, it's a laugh riot right? But it's a great film told with warmth and humour and with a similar economy to The Squid and the Whale. Since there has been quite a lot of talk on here about our parents, I think it would strike a chord with a few of us here.

It would be good to get some recommendation going because I haven't seen too many good films recently. Indeed I'm my own worst enemy because I'm deliberately going to watch Alien vs Predator: Requiem at some point this weekend and I know that it will be utterly awful already but sometimes I'm helplessly drawn to such cack! Someone save me!

The Squid and The Whale was a good movie, but I couldn't help but feel just a bit left of uncomfortable watching it. It's hard to describe, but it's like there was no person to root for throughout the whole film. Very strange indeed, but maybe that's why I liked it.

That was one of the main things about The Squid and the Whale that made it so damn good for me - nobody was scapegoated as being the sole cause of their relationships falling apart... they all felt like very real characters.

I didn't really enjoy Indy in the end. I know it seems like a ridiculous thing to say but it all seemed a bit too far fetched!!!! There were only a couple of times when it actually felt like an Indiana Jones film - it was very uneven, which was disappointing because I think Harrison Ford can still carry the role off. It wasn't awful by any means... it just wasn't that good either.

The Darjeeling Limited -
Yeah, I know its already on DVD, I can't get to the movies in real time anymore, not the grown-up ones anyway.
I thought this movie was excellent, I think its the most mature and least convoluted of Wes Anderson's films. Three brothers on a spiritual journey to reconnect, on a train. I love the "lightness" of Anderson's films, everything seems just slightly surreal and just slightly left-of-center.
Owen Wilson is very good, playing Owen Wilson again. But he really is very good in this. What's interesting about Anderson's films is that even moments that should be frought with intense drama and emotion seem somehow laid back and inevitable. Its almost as if all of his characters take everything that happens in resigned stride, even death.

And its funny.

Mike Moore's Sicko.
Should be compulsory viewing for all Americans. In case you think Moore may have selectively chosen his overseas subjects to suit his polemic, I can attest that his depiction of the British NHS seems to be quite accurate. There are big problems within the NHS, of course, and he might have chosen Australia to highlight as a better health system. But an astounding indictment of appalling greed. Five stars.

A movie I highly recommend is Mirrormask. It's a few years old and some of you have no doubt seen it but it's an amazing work of art created by amazing artists. Written by Neil Gaiman, visualized and directed by Dave McKean and produced by the Jim Henson Company, Mirrormask is a feast for your senses. The first time I saw it I don't think I blinked- such eye candy! I think the trailer for the film makes it seem a bit more sinister than neccessary but

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a link if you're interested.

I haven't seen "21" yet so I won't pass judgement, however, being a card-counter myself and having read the book the movie was based on, I had been anticipating the movie for years. I was very disheartened when I saw the trailer and I guess I was kind of expecting that. Every movie that's ever dealt (no pun intended) with blackjack and card-counting is loaded with inaccuracies. The book, "Bringing Down the House" was very exciting, although it too played loose with the truth. I'm sure the movie takes it a few steps further. For starters, just about every player on the M.I.T. team at that time (it's been around for decades and still is) was Asian, but I guess Americans won't see a movie with an all Asian cast.

I'll watch it when it comes out on video but I'm not expecting much other than some laughs.

Yes, it's based on a true story. As I said, the M.I.T. team has been around for years and went through some pretty interesting stuff during the time the book and movie are based on.

There was some talk about what effect, if any, the movie would have on the game of blackjack. If you ask me, and most counters I know, the casinos are thrilled by it because many, many people will take up counting without truly doing what it takes to make money at it. Counting's not hard at all, but actually making it worthwhile and profitable is.

Every so often, I put an ad on Craigslist to teach people how to count cards, without many replies. Then I got about 10 emails within weeks of the movie being released.


P.S. I know you said he's only 12, but I wouldn't trust Youtube videos.

This hasn't anything to do with anything, and it's certainly not a recommendation, but I was surprised just now to see my ex-neighbor on the Food Network channel making muffalettas. Small world!