Jeff Macfee » Movies

Jumper….oh the humanity

jeff — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 23:08:30 +0000

Wow. What a mess. Jumper. Either I’m carsick or that movie was really bad. Maybe both.

I haven’t assimilated the true badness yet. I’ve never had a proctology exam, but I imagine it’s something like what I just experienced. How’s that for graphic?

If nothing else, the teaser for Indy IV rocked.

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Snap judgement I’ll regret later

jeff — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 20:25:53 +0000

And another thing about Cloverfield reviews, specifically the complaint about the main characters being “yuppies”, and wouldn’t it have made a better movie to show “real” people. The cynical side of me says the movie reviewers are forced-ennui bohemian types who resent yuppies anyway, even when they are being eaten by monsters. I guess they’d rather see their fellow indie-rock coffeehouse brethren masticated by a large Lovecraftian behometh?

With friends like that…

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Cloverfield – awesome

jeff — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 19:12:37 +0000

Just saw Cloverfield, and it was better than I though it would be. Intense, thought the characters were true to the setting and the situations, really well done. Some reviews called out the “vapid and shallow twenty-something characters”. Well…it’s NYC, and the characters are supposed to be in their twenties. I’d say vapid and shallow is the norm. Hell, I was in my thirties when I lived in New York, and I was fairly vapid and shallow. So there you go.

Other viewers felt it capitalized on the horrors and phobias we carry over from 9/11. Well, I did think of 9/11 once or twice. But come on — we’re going to let terrorists dictate movie content now? It’s a movie. We can’t knock down buildings in movies any more? I didn’t feel Cloverfield tried to exploit this connection in any way. Your opinion may vary, but then, it’s your opinion and not mine.

And the length is just right. Runs something like 88/89 minutes. Perfect for the all action/hand-held approach they used. I’d say more, but I don’t want to dole out spoilers.

Anyway, if you’re an action movie junkie, I recommend it.

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Branching out into other areas where I lack skill – movie reviews

jeff — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 03:40:21 +0000

Just saw “I am Legend” No — it’s not the book, but the movie is never the book. It’s never bothered me as a read/movie goer, and I suspect it won’t bother should I ever win the life lotto and publish a book that is turned into a film. This was a great action movie with some real thought given to character and a relatively consistent movie logic. And Wil Smith is just likeable, what can you say.

Were there issues? Of course, a few, but hell, my own books will always have issues. I’m not quite sure why Hollywood is so afraid of the book as is. Seems to me it would translate well to the screen, ending and all.

I’m not going to throw stones here. I expected good, and it was even better than that. Definitely worth your kopecs.

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