Just saw Volver (about time!). Almodovar is an amazing director. I always enjoy his films and this one did not disappoint. Viva Pedro! (I can't WAIT for the box set of films to be released.)

Got the second Humphrey Bogart DVD box for Christmas. Watched All Through The Night over the weekend - just finished watching The Maltese Falcon. Both of those films have made me want to finally read the Peter Lorre biography I picked up many months ago. But first - the two bonus movies in the Maltese Falcon set. Man, I love me them special edition DVDs.

Have you read Maltese Falcon? Excellent book that opens up so much that wasn't covered in the film. MF is one of the best Bogarts. Casablanca, Across the Pacific, Petrified Forest, all excellent.

I've never read the book. It's going on my list (ironic to add Hammett books to my reading list just as I plan to leave San Francisco). Across the Pacific is in the box - I'll watch it next. Thanks for the tips!

I saw "Dreamgirls" with Babette today. I liked it. I thought Hudson's song was amazing. Loved that. Parts of the movie dragged but for the most part I liked it.
:)

Ouch!

The producers of Shrek bring you "Happily N'ever After"

It's currently sitting with a 7% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

I repeat... Ouch.

Hmmm, y'see, all those horrible reviews of Happily N'ever After express precisely how I felt about Shrek. (I guess I was in the minority on that one.) No way I'm going to put any of my hard-earned coin toward this one.

The Swankies - 2006

Ok, just for fun, I want everyone on the board to pm me with their top 5 nominees for 2006 films. At the end of January, I will compile the top 5 most picked films and we will vote for the best picture of 2006. Everyone else can have an award, so why can't we?

So in the following cattagories, pm me with the top 5 by January 31, 2007 or I will hunt you all down. :)

Best Picture
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Director
Best Writing

This will be fun!!:cheers: Sound good?

Ok, back to Musings... :p

Two meh films with great female lead perfs are The Good German and Running with Scissors.

In the former, Cate Blanchett demonstrates her chameleon quality that puts her on par with the best of Meryl Streep, imo. The retro-styled McGuffin mystery set in the aftermath of WWII Berlin is marginally interesting and mildly enjoyable ... but Blanchette is a knock-out as the down-on-her-luck femme fatale.

In Scissors, Annette Bening is captivating as a mentally ill mom in an otherwise confusing and convoluted mess of a memoir movie that will make you feel mentally ill.

ooooh, I knew these screener DVDs would come in handy in voting for something.

:cool: