My condolences (shudder).

I watched The Count of Monte Christo (most recent version) with my daughter over the weekend. Liked the movie, but it always bugs me when a Hollywood ending replaces the original ending of a classic.

I also took the family to see "Over the Hedge" Friday. Much better than the other animated drivel that has been put out recently.

Philip Seymour Hoffman makes an excellent villain. I loved watching him kick Tom Cruise's ass. :D

Totally. GD and I couldn't resist doing Hoffman imitations afterwards.
"I'm gonna find her. I'm gonna find her, and I'm gonna hurt her."
:D

We watched King Kong Saturday night. Just when we were laughing at how bad it was it got WORSE!!!

The ice skating scene where King Kong scoots around the ice on his butt is hysterical.
:D

It would make a killer ad for Preparation H or Tuck's, though :D

Imagine the size of that Tuck's pad. It would be the size of round area rug.
:D

Sorry, I wish I could not say this, but I have to.


Is that the prequel to Snakes on a Plane?


Oh Damn Me!

We laughed at the absurdity of the entire movie. Even the kids thought it was stupid. Nickolas was the only one who watched more than 10 minutes of it.

Teehee, I'm gonna watch King Kong tonight.


Last night, tho, in prep for DaVinci Code tomorrow, I watched my favorite Tom Hanks movie. Quickly rising up the list to one of my favorites of all movies ever made. Cast Away. There is only one moment of the film that isn't where Tom Hanks' character is, and it's a very telling one. The movie has a deep spiritual subtext that I love. There's a whale at sea that's constantly doing Hanks big favors. There's Wilson the ball who is either a puka spirit or a saving-grace figment of Hanks' imagination - or both. There's the hangman's totem suspended from a broken tree-limb on a mountain top ... until a certain turning point.

There's an ultra-romantic text and subtext that I love. I dig watching this movie alone, because I cry like a madman during the scene when Hanks visits his now-married girlfriend after the rescue. Every line, every look, ever gesture in that scene is a tearjerker. From the subtlety of the pocket knife keychain to the over-topness of their empassioned kiss in the pouring rain, that scene is a gusher of good writing, fine acting, culmination of drama, and tears galore.

I love the structure of this film. A first third where there's near constant music ... none of it score. Elvis tunes, Christmas tunes, Russian songs, music fills the first third. The middle third has none. No score, no music. The constant sound of surf and nary a sound that's not natural. There are maybe 10 lines of dialogue in this hour's worth of film. The final third has musical score for the first time. A single coda, repeated four times at four dramatic moments, exactly the same each time - and each time stirring the soul.

I love the task it took to make this movie. They had to appease a mystic tribal culture to film upon their sacred island, boat a movie crew and all equipment out to the site each and every day, film the better part of a movie there without leaving so much as a footprint that might be caught on film, later dub in every sound of the waves to match what was caught on film, then break for the better part of year (keeping the crew together to make a far inferior film) while Tom Hanks turned paunchy fat to lean muscle and grew a RipVanWinkle beard.

I love Tom Hanks in this movie. He carries an entire film. Much of the time without speaking a word.


One of the best movies of all time, without a doubt in my mind.




Tomorrow ... the DaVinci Code. Hmmmmm.