Economy Size Geek

Owning Mahowny (2003)

This movie was brutal. Bascially Philip Seymour Hoffman plays another down and out guy. This time he is a compulsive gambler who ends up embezzling money from the bank he works for to supply his habit.

Minnie Driver does an ok job as the love interest - I would compare her to the wife in Goodfellas - she knows what is going on but loves him to much to get out.

John Hurt plays the Casino owner who wants all the money Mahowny can bring him. I have to say that I have developed a great appreciation for this actor. Especially when he is given material that allows him to swing thru the emotional pendulam - from icey cool to post-apoloclyptic kinipshun.

The movie was brutal. Hoffman has this character down to a science. And you want to see the truly terrible side of gambling this movie shows it all. Not just from view of the gambler - but also from the casino - on how they try to rope you and and make sure that you keep coming back.

Bottom line: A very dark drama - well acted - though a bit slow at times. I would rent this when you want to feel better about yourself.

Lutrede, De (2002)

In English this is called “The Purified”. Some where along the line I got French New Wave crossed with Dogme 95. The former being a film movement from before I was born - that influenced a lot of directors I like - the later being a relatively recent film movement (95 = 1995) that I had never heard of.

The film was shot about 5 years after Lars von Trier and friends announced their manifesto. Bascially in a nut shell - Dome 95 is about valuing the moment over the whole. Elminating the illusion from film. Or as I sort of think about it - if you made a home movie - you were keeping with Dogma 95 which doesn’t allow outside props, costumes, lights, sound - or any of the things that consitute the “technical” part of the film.

The film was interesting only because it showed that 5 years down the line these four directores who had set out to make this radically different kind of film expereince - were still struggling with what is and isn’t allowed. What parts of their films did and din’t conform to the rules of their own making. It was terribly satifing when Lars admits that in one of his films he had to pay porn actors to do the sex scene that his real actors were to modest to do. This was a total violation of the principals of the movement - so even the high priest of the movement still has to grapple with the issues of making the movie that is in his head versus making the movie as it can be made under the rules they have created.

I was somewhat reminded of the sort of debates I have seen in the open source community. So if you’ve seen puritanical GPL’ers go head to head with BSD’ers then you’ve already seen the most interesting part of this film.

That is unless you have seen some Dogma 95 films and wanted some background. To be honest I don’t think I’ve seen any of them. Dogville is one of them - and I almost saw it two years ago at SXSW - but so many people said it was overrated crap - I skipped it - and haven’t really been in a hurry to add it to the netflix queue.

Bottom Line: If you’re a student of film - it’s not a bad use of 74 minutes - otherwise - go watch something you might enjoy.

Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004)

I spent most this week bedridden with a fever. Which meant I got to watch an amazing amount of crap television between bouts with the Nyqual bottle.

I’m not sure why I watched this. I mean I loved the cartoon. And I continue to be impressed at how well Mathew Lillard is able to impersinate Shaggy. I saw the first one and thought - Wow they’ve taken a show that is stupid and fun and perfect if you run it for 17 minutes (30 w/ commercials) and turned it into a feature length film that is total crap.

I do feel like a dork for not figuring out immediately who that bad guy was - I blame the meds.

Bottom Line: Go watch the cartoon - don’t see this movie.

Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! (2004)

Ok I watched this on my trip in Italy. I guess thought it might turn out to me a good geek gets girl comedy - which I’m a big fan of. Turns out it was total crap. Topher Grace ends up playing a character with even less spine than his character on that 70’s show.

The writer also does this really annoying thing where he introduces made up phrases “Shake a doo” and “Yikes a bee” which are used only when they introduced and then never again. That’s just laziness people!

In the end I don’t think he realy deserved the girl. (Which is not a spoiler because if you don’t know he is going to get the girl in the first five minutes you’re an idiot)

Bottom line: Don’t see this - don’t rent it - don’t even pause on it whilre you are waiting for something better to come on.

Ok I spent a week in Italy - where I got engaged!

I cam back and got a terrible viral infection that put me in bed for a little over a week. I’m finally back up and about. So hopefully I’ll start posting here again. Be warned I watched a lot of TV while I was sick so be prepared for a ridiculous number of movie reviews.

I’m on my way to Italy.

I meant to have a lot of fun cool content queued up, but I’m still new at this blogging thing and that didn’t happen. So just chill and subscribe via Bloglines. They’ll tell you when I get back.

Potter Puppet Pals

I’m not sure how to categorize this. Mostly under stuff for people who like Harry Potter, a terrible sense of humor, and 7 minutes of time to kill.

Try two on the hazelnut and walnuts at Amy’s

4×4 oysters and cefviche trio at azuca

So the other day I was logged on to CounterStrike. Blowing off some steam killing people I’ve never met. In the game you have the option of “tagging” things. This basically means you get to put a custom image up in the game world. I saw this image the other day and figured I’d share.

It was under the title “The difference between Europe and the United States”