Category Archives: Movie Reviews

Movie Reviews

Augh and a movie review

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Sinus infection. Blech.

I watched “Tom and Viv” yesterday. It starred Willem Dafoe as T.S. Eliot (one of my favorites) and Miranda Richardson as his first wife, Vivienne Haigh-Wood. I get why they cast ol’ Willem in the role of T.S. There are a few scenes where he looks kind of like him, and from what I’ve heard of old recordings, he sounds like him too. Shoot, for all I know T.S. Eliot was a passionless, emotionless wooden dude with no vocal inflection or facial expressions. I kinda doubt it though, because so many people really did like him and people don’t ususally like hanging out with emotionless guys like the guy that Willem Dafoe depicted.

Miranda Richardson, on the other hand, was stunning as Eliot’s emotionally disturbed first wife. She was absolutely transcendent, and totally deserving of the Oscar nomination she got. I dare say she deserved the 1995 Oscar instead of Jessica Lange (for “Blue Sky”).

Rosemary Harris (Aunt May in Spiderman) also snagged a nomination for Best Supporting. She did a fabulous job, but that was the year Dianne Weist won for “Bullets Over Broadway” and Helen Mirren was also nominated, so I’m afraid Harris’s understated but lovely portrayal of Rose Haigh-Wood didn’t make a big enough of a splash with the academy.

All in all, I was kind of disappointed. I was hoping for a more emotional movie. That might not be historically accurate, but I am wallowing in my sickness and was ready for an ultra-romantic literary snack. This was not it. It’s worth check out for Richardson’s performance. She’s amazing.

Health, Movie Reviews

100th Post – And Another Migraine

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I don’t know what it is about this particular Christmas. Maybe it’s the economy or my depresing work situation or just a little 31-year-old midlife crisis but I’m pretty blue. One thing that is helping out (or hurting, depending on how you look at it) is the barrage of Christmas programming on the Lifetime Channel and the Lifetime Movie Network. Heaven help me, I’m enjoying the crap out of these movies. I mean, how many different versions of a Christmas Carol can one company make?

I will say that I’ve been known to scorn Lifetime programming in the past. In fact, my buddy Shell posted an article I wrote on his website: http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-worst-lifetime-original-movies.php. Either I’ve changed or they really ramp up the programming for Christmastime, or I’m immune to the crapulence that exudes from the television set. At least I’ve only allowed myself to watch in the bedroom – where we don’t have a DVR and I don’t muck up the queue with a bunch of these movies that would surely make Dwight roll his eyes so hard they might hop out of thier sockets.

So, stay tuned for the Top Ten Best Lifetime Christmas Movies. I think I’ll write it as soon as someone removes the knife that is lodged firmly above my left eye. Until then I will remain wracked by dirty-house guilt and wallow under the uncomfortably warm comforter and watch the cat lick herself in the flickering glow of a Lifetime Christmas movie starring Neil Patrick Harris and Naomi Watts. DOn’t worry. I don’t hate myself at all right now. Not at all.

Movie Reviews, Random Thoughts

A few random and sleepy thoughts

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Josh Whats-His-Name, the guy from Lost? He really doesn’t look all that great with his shirt off. I think that Cool Water cologne/perfume ad is kind of stupid. There’s old slopy-shouldered Sawyer being all stubbly and gritty jawed, and there’s Kate Beckinsale with her messed-up hair and she’s kind of holding her mouth open like a cat does when it sniffs something really hard or catches the scent of something in the wind. Sexy. I mean, I get it. He comes up out of the water all musky and Cool Watery and she catches his scent in the breeze. Like a big ol British cat. It might work better for me if she hadn’t played a vampire in a movie. I was kind of thinking she might bite him on his big ol’ slopy shoulder.

Amazon Ad-Thingy isn’t as intuitive as I’d hoped. There’s, like, a half a web page on the side of my other blog’s webpage. I’m not linking to it yet. It only has one post and no content yet.

In retrospect, McDonald’ s wasn’t the best idea for dinner.

We just watched “Smart People” with Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker (SJP), Thomas Haden Church and Ellen Page. It was the first thing since Wings I’ve seen Thomas Haden Church in and liked him. Sideways made me want to punch him in the face. In fact, the whole movie made me want to punch the whole movie industry in the face. Really? This is what all the fuss was about? And I even already LOVED Paul Giamatti. Sorry, folks. That movie was a crap cracker as far as I was concerned.

Waking up before 6AM sucks – it’s 9:30 and I feel like it’s way past my bedtime.

If I can’t find parking on the street for school tomorrow I will consider it a bad omen.

I am in the process of casting many Neil Gaimen movies in my head. Ask me how! Soon if he asks for my opinion I’ll be able to offer it without hesitation.

Why doesn’t Blogger have a damn spell check? Do they think we all type it into word or notepad first? Not all of us can write html, people. Give us a break.

You know what I like? I like when you have a pleasant or witty exchange with someone and it DOESN’T turn awkward. Pay attention next time. You’ll notice just how often that happens.

If I worry about money much longer I think all my hair will fall out. Speaking of hair, I’m cutting mine even shorter. I hate this style that it’s in. I’ve been wearing a lacy kerchief thing on my head and I think people at work think I might have changed religions or something. Or joined the damn VonTrapp family.

Now I’m going to have that “High on a hill sat a lonely goatherd” song stuck in my head. See if you don’t too.

I’m glad they don’t have emoticons readily available. I’m liable to abuse them. Except for with instant messaging I don’t think it gets much better than sending the totally wrong animated emoticon smily face guy for the occasion.

Either Grandpa’s down the well, or the cat forgot she already ate dinner.

Am I crazy, or is it really exciting when a store has an “As Seen On TV” department?

Downing Johnson Out