Tobruk

Tobruk was the story of a regiment of Czechoslovakian soldiers fighting the Nazis in North Africa inspired by Stephen Crane's novel "The Red Badge of Courage".

This film had very good production values: great cinematography, great direction, great set design. But what the film lacked was a good story. The movie was very slow and in the middle of the film it seemed to completely change which character it would focus on. The film starts with new recruits being brought to North Africa. One man, Lieberman, suffers from some initial hazing because he is a Jew. The first half of the film focuses on him, but then about half way, the focus changes to Lieberman's friend without giving much description to who this character is. Like I said, the story was very slow. The soldiers trained, were sent to the front lines, and then for the majority of the movie they were hunkered down in the trenches not saying much to each other. The film was 1 hour and 40 minutes, but it felt like a 2 and a half hour movie. Needless to say, Tobruk was not my favorite film in the festival.

My rating: 2 out of 10

Straight to the Bone

The next film that I viewed was entitled Straight to the Bone. The plot of this movie is about a girl who has been with her boyfriend for several years and is ready for him to make a bigger commitment, but he is not ready for that big of a step.

This movie was long and slow. It really seemed to drag on and about halfway through I was already going, "Okay, let's wrap it up." I was impressed to learn, during a Q&A session with the director, that the script of the movie was totally improv. There were some good points in the movie, such as a next door neighbor who completely stole the show anytime he was in a scene. Being that it was improv makes me give a big kudos to the actor. In all, it wasn't a very happy movie...the boyfriend leaves for a weekend trip and the girlfriend goes out with another guy to find some fulfillment in her life. The movie ends with the girl and her first boyfriend still together, but upset at each other and you don't know if they stay together or if they separate. All in all, just wasn't my favorite.

My rating: 2 of 10

Holy Hell

The first film that I went to was called Holy Hell a comedy about a financially struggling church that decides to make a horror film to keep their church afloat. The film was funny because none of the church members were technically qualified to make a film and had no idea what they were doing. The pastor of the church desperately wants the film to work so that the church that he has worked so hard to build will be saved. However, being that the church is making a horror film other Christian organizations are quick to criticize them for trying to market evil. This leads to protesters following the filmmakers wherever they go and bringing national attention to the church's plight.

All around good movie with funny and witty dialog kept the movie going at a good pace. It was interesting in how it portrayed Christian groups. For example, the organization behind the protests comes across as incredibly over-zealous. A pastor of a mega-church is shown to care more about the number of people he can attract. Then there is church trying to make a film to save their small congregation. Another point I found interesting is that the film did not have any "perfect" characters. By that I mean characters that have everything together and are the undisputed good guy (or girl). The filmmakers all are struggling with personal problems and lose sight of the true reason for trying to make a film. The other groups portrayed come across unloving, judgmental, or self-serving. But it is because of that fact that made the film enjoyable.

My rating: 5 out of 10

Austin Film Festival

This week (October 22 -29) is the 16th Annual Austin Film Festival. I have purchased a pass and am geared up for a week of watching films and participating in the festival! Of the movies that I see, I'll give reviews and rate them just like normal! Stay tuned!

The Wolfman

Of all the horror movies that were made in the 1930s and 40s, the one that I remember scaring me the most when I watched it was 1941's The Wolf Man starring Lon Chaney, Jr. It's been a while since I have watched it, but I just remember thinking that it was really good. For example, the special effects of having Lon Chaney turn into the Wolf Man was incredible for the time period. I've seen the old Frankenstein and other horror movies such as the Creature from the Black Lagoon movies, but I always thought that The Wolf Man was the one that was truly scary or creepy. Because of that, I was incredibly happy to learn that there is going to be a remake of The Wolf Man that will be released in 2010. It stars Benicio del Toro as Lawrence Talbot/Wolf Man with other big names such as Anthony Hopkins and Hugo Weaving. I saw the trailer and was blown away. It looks like it's going to be awesome!

Here is the trailer:

The Informant!

The Informant! (2009)

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Starring: Matt Damon, Scott Bakula, Joel McHale

Rating: R (Language)


This movie was...interesting. I've decided I actually need to see a movie that doesn't have plot twists so I can go a little bit more into detail about it without spoiling it for everyone who hasn't seen it. I didn't expect this movie to be this way, but it was, so I'll do the best I can!

Matt Damon stars as Mark Whitacre, a biochemist for ADM, which is a agricultural company that creates food products. In this true story, Whitacre decides to become a whistleblower after witnessing and being forced to partake in illegal activities. He goes to the FBI with his information and becomes involved in an investigation that soon makes him think that he's in way over his head. Things are going well for the FBI in their investigation until it becomes clear that everything is not what it seems.

In my opinion, the movie didn't quite meet what I was expecting. I was expecting a laugh-out-loud comedy, but it more of a quirky drama. I enjoyed the move, it just wasn't what I thought it would be. What I did find to be hilarious about the film was Whitacre's rambling narration of the film that would come randomly about topics that didn't have much to do with the current scene other than the fact that the situation seemed to trigger a memory in Whitacre's mind. An example is he is in a restaurant, and then in narration, he says: "I saved a guy in a restaurant once...He was choking on a chicken bone and I bent him backwards in his chair to clear his airways. He sends me cards during the holidays....just to say thanks...and tell me what his kids are studying in school."

If you are a fan of movies that contains mostly dry humor, then you would probably enjoy this movie. If not, it might not rank in your top ten. Matt Damon does give a good performance; I must admit it was different seeing him with the added thirty pounds that he put on for the role...not exactly reminiscent of Jason Bourne.

Overall, an okay movie with some humor, that seemed to drag on longer than I thought necessary, and wasn't what I was expecting. Because of that, I rate this movie a 5 out of 10.

Rest in Peace Patrick Swayze

Patrick Swayze: August 18, 1952 - September 14, 2009