I suppose it’s not that strange of a guilty pleasure. After all, from a young age I fantasized about a life in which I’d be some dowdy (but glamorously beautiful underneath it all) heroine with years of classical ballet training. I’d get swept off my feet by the school’s resident bad boy (of course, he’d have an uncharacteristic passion for b-boying or disco or the Charleston – some less traditional and more fun form of dance.) But our relationship would only work if we could get over our differences and find that special spark that can only lead to physics-defying choreography.

Coincedentally, this happens to be the classic dance flick plot. Some form of it is featured in such films as Dirty Dancing, Grease, Save the Last Dance, Step Up, and the High School Musical trilogy.

Just remember - Flashdance sold way more legwarmers than your favorite movie.

But I have a feeling that my love for Saturday Night Fever, Footloose, and Center Stage spreads far beyond mere fantasy fulfillment. It’s not that I love the movies and their corny storylines as much as I truly appreciate dance as an art form above acting and even music itself. I can’t stand reality shows, especially American Idol-esque competitions, but every week I delight myself to America’s Best Dance Crew and So You Think You Can Dance. It’s as though I enjoy dancing more than I mind trite dialogue and uninspired character development, and, trust me on this, that’s saying an awful lot.

Any terrible movie is, in my opinion, made worth watching once for a nicely choreographed sequence. As much as I never want to watch She’s All That ever again in my life, I do YouTube the prom scene from time to time for a smile. (You know the scene I’m talking about. It’s horrendously contrived, but that’s precisely why it’s a guilty pleasure.) Even an already good film can be infinitely better with the addition of a dance. Case in point: Slumdog Millionaire. There is some controversy over whether the Bollywood number during the credits was necessary, but I vote that it added more flavor and ultimately made the film more memorable to me.

But skip over the musical sequences out of any dance-heavy movie, and it becomes disturbingly obvious just how bad the writing and acting truly are.

Yes, he's leaping. But it's a very manly leap!

Would anyone honestly care about Baby’s banal infatuation with Johnny Castle if there was no mambo involved? Probably not – that’s where the heat is. Would Tracy Turnblad be as endearing a heroine if she didn’t have her trademark moves? She’d never have the influence over people to make a difference. And what the heck would all the brooding Center Stage kids be doing if they couldn’t dance? Most of them would not be acting – I know that for sure.

I don’t know exactly what it is about dancing that allows me to forgive crappy writing. I’m not much of a dancer myself, and it’s not as though I find these stories to be particularly motivating. But just as some people like baseball movies and others enjoy romantic comedies without irony, I just can’t get enough of those dance flicks!

So if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to update my Fame countdown, and I don’t care how much you ridicule me for that!

“Did I know that I just met the most dangerous dark wizard of all time? No.”

The Scoop: 2009 PG, Directed by David Yates and starring Daniel Raddcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson

Tagline: Once again I must ask too much of you, Harry.

Summary Capsule: Young wizard learns about evil guy’s past while his friends get all caught up in teen hormones. And somebody dies. Based on some book you might have heard of.

Courtney’s Rating: I do love the Harry Potter fandom and most of its members, but they can really aggravate me sometimes…

Courtney’s Review: (A preemptive apology for the length and scatter-brained-ness of this review. There’s so much I wanted to touch on a not nearly enough room for it!)

When HBP was first pushed back from November 2008 to July 2009, I was livid. I’d never been angrier at something so trivial in my life (several months later, this honor was awarded to VH1’s pop culture showdown the Great Debate for “officially deciding” that puppies are cuter than kittens. Hello? Puppies pee all over the place, and there is nothing cute about that. Kittens come potty-trained. And evil is inherently adorable.) So after an extra 8 months, the one thing everyone wanted to know was, was it worth the wait?

Let’s get right to it. I don’t care what you think about the movie vs. the book. Of course the book is better, but the two mediums are so different that they shouldn’t be compared. (Contrary to popular belief, there are some movies that are better than their books, but that’s a rant for a different day.) The movie, based on its own merits, is freakin’ awesome. It rivals Prisoner of Azkaban for being the most well-made film of the franchise (the two least well-made being Sorcerer’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets, which, perhaps coincidentally, are the “closest to the books.”) I know there’s a lot of good things to be said for movies that stay true to their source material, but let’s be honest – people do not watch movies the same way they read books. Changes should be more than welcome as long as the message and tone remaion the same. Here, I’m more than certain that HBP got it all right.

One thing that some Potterheads keep complaining about is that there’s too much focus on the romance aspect. I wonder if these people even read the book, as romance was kind of a big thing there, too. The whirlwind relationship between Ron and Lavender Brown is pretty important to the development of Ron and Hermione’s characters. And the Harry/Ginny kiss scene was very different from the scene in the book, but I thought it was sweet. I do wish more focus went to their relationship, but since so much of its development is internal, I guess it was bound to piss off die-hards no matter what the filmmakers did.

I know I’m one of few, but I liked the added scene at the Burrow. It was a cool way to show that there was a lot of danger outside of Hogawarts, and it showed us a little more of some favorite characters without forcing them in. And I fully support the decision to leave out the battle – save it for the big one in Deathly Hallows! But I was disappointed that they left out the funeral scene (you know what I’m talking about) because it seemed so beautiful in the book. I thought it would really look gorgeous and be mood-appropriate.

The acting in this film was by far the best it’s ever been for HP. Daniel Raddcliffe (D-Radd, if you will) is really becoming a strong actor, and Emma Watson didn’t completely annoy me this time, a huge compliment to her. In fact, I daresay she did a more than adequate job here. I loved seeing so much more of Bonnie Wright as Ginny. I think she’s fun and cute and it’s great to see that she actually gets to do more than stand there and recite a couple throwaway lines. I’ve always thought that Rupert Grint was the most talented of the kids, especially after seeing him in Driving Lessons. But as Steve Kloves returned to write the screenplay (he wrote all of the scripts for the series except Order of the Phoenix) Ron’s role was yet again relegated to comic relief and no more. Rupert does a great job with the comedy, but it’s unfortunate that he doesn’t get to show off his serious-drama chops.

The adult actors are all incredible, as they usually are. I’m seriously in love with Alan Rickman’s Snape and props to Potter newcomer Jim Broadbent as Horace Slughorn (and props to the special effects people who turned him into that armchair – how cool was that?) Michael Gambon’s performance has always been a topic of debate. However, I always feel that he gets the job done, and he manages to capture a certain youthful spring in his step that I think is so important to Dumbledore’s character. (SPOILER!) I cried quite a bit when he was drinking the protective potion in the cave. It’s very tragic if you know what he’s seeing in his mind, and I thought he was excellent in that whole scene. (END SPOILER.)

The standout performance was Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy. Up until now, Malfoy’s always just been this annoying, mean,  Billy Zapka-esque jerk, but here we learn that his outward cockiness is just a facade. He’s really just an insecure teenager and a coward, but he doesn’t want to let his family down. Felton did a truly wonderful job at portraying the conflict within Malfoy, and, more impressively, he did it with as few words as possible.

I’m probably one of about 12 people in the world who will see a movie based on the cinematographer (I sure know Christian Bale doesn’t think much of the profession.) Bruno Delbonnel is absolutely my favorite director of photography, and when I watched the first trailer for HBP, I recognized his work. Every scene in this movie looked like a painting, but the colors and movement were so rich and alive that they also felt very real. If I had it my way, Delbonnel would definitely win an Oscar for cinematography this year. He is an artist.

In my opinion, the strongest (and most surprising) aspect of HBP was the comedy. I knew it was going to be funny, but I didn’t expect to be laughing quite as much as I was, and as genuinely. Jessie Cave’s Lavender and Freddie Stroma’s Cormac McLaggen had a lot to do with that, as well as Daniel Raddcliffe (D-Radd – I really want this nickname to catch on) and Rupert Grint.

But most importantly of all, I loved that this movie pumped me up for Deathly Hallows. I think that with this creative team and a studio expecting to rake in millions on opening weekend, we can expect two really fantastic movies, both for fans of the Harry Potter books and for film-lovers.

In summation, I guess I’ll answer the question posed at the beginning of this review: Was it worth the wait? Heck yes.

"And if these movies don't work out, I'm auditioning for a role as a Hammer Bros. in Super Mario!"

Didja Notice?

• Lots of mirrors! There’s a nice visual motif involving mirrors and mirror images.
• There’s also a lot of nice foreshadowing. For example, Malfoy mentions something about jumping off of the Astronomy Tower early in the film, and you know what happens later.
• How much do you want to go to the Weasley Wizard Wheezes shop? It’s like Wonka’s factory, but without all the Oompa Loompas trying to kill you.
• Arnold the pink Pygmy Puff looks like he’d eat your face off while you were sleeping…
• How high you jumped when the Inferi started attacking?
• So at the end of the movie, Harry and Hermione have this really nice conversation, and Ron just sits there the whole time? He says nothing and Hermione gets to speak for him? Kloves, you are truly shameless.
• How did this get a PG rating? I’m still trying to figure that out.

This is an actual photo from Wizstock '69.

Intermission!

Jessie Cave beat over 7000 girls to win the role of Lavender Brown, Ron’s “love-interest” from the book.

Helen McCrory had been cast to play Bellatrix Lestrange in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, but had to back out because she was pregnant. She plays Bellatrix’s sister, Narcissa Malfoy in this film.

Groovy Quotes

Harry: Did you know, sir? Then?
Dumbledore: Did I know that I just met the most dangerous dark wizard of all time? No.

Tom Riddle age 11: I can make things move without touching them. I can make bad things happen to people who are mean to me. I can speak to snakes too. They find me… whisper things.

Ron: I’m in love with her!
Harry: Alright, fine, you’re in love with her! Have you ever actually met her?
Ron: No… Can you introduce me?

Professor McGonagall: Why is it that, whenever anything happens, it’s always you three?
Ron: I’ve been wondering that for six years, Professor.

Ron: How much are these?
Fred and George: 5 galleons.
Ron: How much for me?
Fred and George: 5 galleons.
Ron: I’m your brother!
Fred and George: 10 galleons.

Dumbledore: Horace, could I have this?
Slughorn: What? Oh, of course.
Dumbledore: Thank you, I do love kitting patterns.

Harry: Fight back you coward!

If You Liked This Movie, Try These:

• Prisoner of Azkaban
• Order of the Phoenix
• Just read the books!

Let’s start with the necessary introduction for any of you sane/lucky enough to steer clear from the Twilight trend: it’s a crappy romance between a high school girl and a century-old vampire I’m calling Cedward for obvious reasons. I got dragged into it by a couple friends who insisted I give it a chance. And I gave it a very generous chance. Because I read the whole dang series, which is pure crap. The first book is crap, each book after that is crap, and the movie is crap. I mean, it’s not just that Stephanie Meyer is a terrible writer and the story sucks; I was actually deeply offended by it’s message. But it’s got some great comedy material, so I think this is going to actually be fun!

01:32 – Words can’t describe how much I hate Bella. Who calls their mom “erratic” and “harebrained?” People don’t talk like that.

02:34 – Forks is a terrific name for a town.

08:45 – And now we meet the Cullens. Cue dramatic music.

09:08 – Why does everybody think Cedward’s so great when Emmett’s right there next to him? Kellan Lutz is such a dreamboat! I think I’m in love.

If this guy was stalking me in my sleep, I might not be that mad...

09:49 – Here comes Cedward. Excuse me while I swoon.

10:34 – Nice effect with that fan blowing her hair. That doesn’t look over the top at all.

11:08 – He looks so pained sitting next to her. That’s how you know it’s love at first sight!

14:00 – The voiceover in this movie is completely pointless. Play music instead.

15:40 – Oh, Bella’s clumsy and not at all glamorous! I so relate to her now!

16:50 – “Let a playa play!”

17:35 – “Ladies first.” What a gentleman. I bet he thinks women should get the vote, too! Swoon.

20:29 – Ew. Don’t be a Creepy McCreepster. Stop asking her probing questions.

23:31 – Bella’s being really reasonable by getting mad at Charlie. If I was almost crushed by a VW van and miraculously saved by a vampire with super human agility and my dad told my mom about it, I’d be angry too.

25:10 – Cedward’s a stalker. Swoon.

32:32 – Yeah, Angela! You’re a strong, independent woman! Unlike Bella, who would literally rather stop living than be separated from her first high school crush.

33:43 – Jacob’s adorable. If Taylor Lautner was like 5 years older, I might be in love with him.

34:19 – Just looked him up on IMDb. He’s 4 years younger than me, and at an age where it makes a difference. I’m a creeper.

35:07 – You know these are the villains because they don’t look like they stepped off the pages of an LL Bean catalogue like the well-kempt Cullens. And the girl’s a redhead, which equals evil. Just take a look at me.

37:41 – The girls are dress shopping and Bella isn’t into it. Which is weird, because what girl doesn’t absolutely love shopping, you know? She’s so different!

40:36 – And now they’re mocking seatbelt safety. Good role models.

46:44 – Mace will stop all kinds of wild animals and bloodsucking demons. Good thinking, Charlie!

49:33 – Good to know that Forks High School celebrates diversity.

50:28 – “How long have you been 17?” “A while.” Winning dialogue!

52:16 – Oh, sparkles! Swoon.

53:13 – Nothing about Cedward draws me in. Guess nature kind of flubbed up the design there.

They're young, beautiful, and brooding. And people wonder why I loathe them.

54:36 – Bella’s thought process as Cedward reveals that he vants to suck her blooood: You wanted to kill me? That’s so sweet! And I’m heroin to you? OMG, romance!

55:55 – “And so the lion fell in love with the lamb.” Who says that?

1:00:24 – Vegetarians don’t kill animals, stupid!

1:04:33 – Kellan actually has some lines in this scene! Hooray!

1:05:11 – Rosalie’s shoes are ridonkulous. I must own them.

1:06:16 – Not to be mean, but the girl who plays Alice is a dreadful actor.

1:07:41 – No, Bella. Cedward does not have a bed. You know why? Because he’s a freakin’ vampire!

1:09:30 – “You better hold on, Spider-Monkey!” …what?

1:10:58 – Of course. He plays piano. Swoon.

1:15:53 – I have to admit – that is a marvelous kiss.

1:17:55 – Cocking the shotgun. Way to go, Charlie.

1:20:01 – The baseball game is the only good part in the movie. But it’s kind of beyond awesome. The effects don‘t look to bad, the costumes look great, and the song rocks. I legitimately enjoy this scene.

1:23:58 – “You brought a snack.” Yup! Kettle-corn for everyone!

1:25:45 – So all of a sudden she’s Model Daughter? I detest this girl.

1:33:12 – What good is the gift of prophesy if the future’s always changing? Doesn’t that render it pointless?

1:36:51 – Don’t make a video, James. Just kill her. Please.

1:37:34 – Because I’m a Potterhead, I have to ask: Battle Royale between the Cullens and Dumbledore’s Army – who wins? My money’s on the DA, provided that they‘ve mastered Occlumency. After that, it’s just a “sectumsempra” here, an “incendio” there. Done deal.

1:39:51 – “Remember who you are!” I like how Carlisle stops Cedward from killing James, but he has no problem with his other sons tearing him to shreds and burning the pieces. Somebody’s playing favorites!

1:41:48 – Kill her, Cedward! KILL HER!

1:42:31 – Shut up, Voiceover!

1:45:19 – Bella has to choose between sunny Jacksonville (which is sure to be filled with hot college guys and baseball players) or boring Forks, where all she has is a bloodthirsty boyfriend with no personality to speak of. And she chooses Forks. This girl’s a smart one.

My prom shoes. The white-balance is thrown off by my vampishly pale skin.

1:47:37 – Fun Courtney Fact: Like Bella, I wore Chuck Taylors to my prom, but I spray-painted mine gold to match my dress.

1:53:52 – Victoria’s so badass right here. I hope they change the end of the series to her killing all of them. It would be a vast improvement over the real ending.

1:54:19 – I really do not like Twilight. I don’t get how it’s popular. The movie is at least kind of fun and really funny, but the books are just terrible. Why do they exist? They are a plague upon literature!

1:54:47 – I do like this soundtrack, though. My sister just downloaded it for me and I’m pretty happy about it.

Okay, it’s over. And I have to say, I had a really good time watching it! I may have to do this again someday. But for now, I think I’m gonna go rent season 1 of True Blood. I hear that’s pretty good. Anywho, thanks for joining me! Hope everybody enjoyed the movie as much as I did, whether it was in “the right way” or not!

The Scoop: 2009 PG-13, directed by Gavin Hood and starring Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber and Danny Huston

Summary Capsule: The origin of the mutant known as Wolverine is revealed. Turns out he was a lot moodier back in the day.

Courtney’s Rating: There definitely is a God, and She calls Her finest creation Hugh Jackman.

Courtney’s Review: Hugh Jackman is the world’s most perfect man. He has the appearance of Adonis and an amount of talent and charisma previously unheard of. He is not just an actor – he is an icon of cinema in the 21st century, he can out-sing the brightest stars of musical theater, and he’s a fantastic dancer to boot. He has vibrantly shined in Hollywood and on Broadway, a feat that few have ever achieved, and he has yet to peak as far as I’m concerned.

The man looks good, whether perfectly trimmed and spruced up to host an awards show or scruffed up and fierce enough to reclaim his place as an action star. If the sight of him doesn’t make you smile or swoon, you must have never learned to appreciate natural beauty. He is a piece of art – his face sculpted by the most skilled angels in Heaven and his body is enough to put Michelangelo’s David to shame. He never fails to capture an audience with his physicality, especially whilst shirtless, skin a-glistenin’ and muscles a-ripplin’ in the light sparkle of sun. And let’s not even mention the fact that he jumps into a waterfall BUTT NAKED.

Because talent and looks are simply not enough, he has been graced with a better personality than a contemporary superstar like him could hope to exude. He can pull off the serious, brooding look in the movies, but in life he has a fantastic, exquisite sense of humor and humbleness. He pulls the purest of emotions out of me. When he laughs, I laugh; when he cries, I cry; when he broods, okay, I don’t exactly brood, but I get a very funny and sensational tickle inside of me like nothing I’ve ever felt before, and I like it. A lot.

To simplify what I think of him, it’s easiest to say that he is the prime male specimen.

But the dialogue in Wolverine was pretty bad and the special effects looked cartoon-y at times.

The Most Beautiful Thing I Have Ever Seen. Absolutely.

Didja Notice?

• How awesome the name Victor Creed is?
• That graceful jump into the waterfall (and all of the glory that happened just before it?)
• How many times does Wolverine have to walk in front of an explosion? I secretly love it…
• Blob’s “Save the Whales” shirt? Totally love it!!
• Ryan Reynolds is pretty hot.
• So is Taylor Kitsch. And Liev Schreiber. And Daniel Henney. And Dominc Monaghan.
• Yeah, Lynn Collins is pretty hot, too.

Is It Worth Staying Through The End Credits?

I think it depends on how you felt about the ending. There is an extra scene a few seconds into the credits and another one at the end.

Intermission!

Hugh Jackman and Liev Schreiber are good friends. Jackman asked Schreiber to be a part of the movie. Schreiber was originally intended to play Stryker, but he was more interested in Sabertooth/Victor Creed.

Groovy Quotes

Victor Creed: Ooh, shiny.

Logan: You’re gonna die for what you did to her.

Victor Creed: Do you even know how to kill me?
Logan: I’m gonna cut your g****mn head off. See if that works.

Wade Wilson: (after eliminating all of the henchmen) Okay, people are dead.

If You Liked This Movie, Try These:

• X-Men
• X2
• X-Men: The Last Stand

Weapon of Choice by Fatboy Slim, directed by Spike Jonze

Oh, like you don't think this is awesome.

A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More “Touch Me” by Fall Out Boy, directed by Alan Ferguson

I’m not a huge fan of Fall Out Boy, so when I first heard this ridiculously titled song on the radio, I wasn’t floored. But when I saw the video on MTV, I was instantly drawn into it. It has that short-film narrative thing that a lot of videos go for and fail at, but here it works. Pete Wentz plays a good vampire who teams up with the rest of the band to hunt down bad vampires. It’s got classic themes, but with a modern, urban twist – a majority of the vamps have contemporary personalities, either as emo kids or gangstas, while the most evil bloodsuckers are a gang of Victorian dandies. And there’s an epic street battle. I’m not sure what any of this has to do with the song, but it’s aesthetically pleasing and pretty funny. I totally love this video!

Jeremy by Pearl Jam, directed by Mark Pellington

Definitely the most chilling selection on this list, this is the only music video to ever move me to tears. The song tells the story of a young boy who goes unloved by his parents and abused by his classmates. Eventually, he decides to make all of his pain go away by shooting himself in front of his class. It’s incredibly heartrending, and the video, which contains some disturbing and controversial imagery, does not at all cheapen its poignancy – it compliments it perfectly. But I do warn anyone who hasn’t seen it before that there is a good reason for the controversy around it (which is perhaps one reason why I love it.)

Sledgehammer by Peter Gabriel, directed by Stephen R. Johnson

He's gonna take you for a ride on the G-Train.

Here It Goes Again by OK Go, directed by Trish Sie

This is one of the defining moments of the Internet Generation. This video catapulted an indie pop band to web-stardom pretty much overnight. In a single long shot, the four band members perform a darn intricate choreographed number on eight treadmills. It’s a befuddling feat that leads viewers to a whole slew of questions: How long did they have to rehearse it? Did they get any weird injuries? Why is the bassist lip-synching the lead singer’s part? And as if having one of the most viewed videos on the web wasn’t enough, OK Go went on to perform the whole thing at the 2006 VMAs – live on TV. Take note, dear reader: this is performance art at its finest.

Black Hole Sun by Soundgraden, directed by Howard Greenhalgh

Ah, the 90s. If you can’t say anything else positive about them, you can say this: there was no better time for alternative rock to flourish in the mainstream. Soundgarden was a special band that I’m not exactly sure how to classify. Somebody on VH1’s 100 Best Songs of the 90s described them as “psychedelic grunge,” so I guess I’ll go with that. Black Hole Sun starts with some colorful scenes of people doing everyday activities with smiles on their faces, but it’s not an optimistic video. It’s more of a Doomsday proclamation that takes pleasant pictures of Suburbia and twists them into diabolical icons for Creeperstown, USA. Eventually, the sun turns into – you guessed it – a black hole which brings all of the smiley mannequin-people to their demise. It’s sinister and unsettling and downright weird, but it’s also insanely cool.

Take On Me by a-ha, directed by Steve Barron

It’s called rotoscoping, and it completely baffles me. Take On Me is a very high concept video, and the concept definitely payed off. Here we are, nearly 25 years after its creation, and people are not only still talking about it, but paying homage to it in creative ways. (How ‘bout that literal video version?) And I can tell you that the song itself gets a lot of play on the college party circuit, because even to a fickle audience who wants more rap or more techno or more indie music, it’s just an awesome song with an awesome video! (But it is annoying that a-ha doesn’t capitolize their name.)

I feel like this is a familiar look.

Sure, he’s an Oscar-nominated, big-shot feature film director now, but David Fincher got his start in music videos, and one of his best is Vogue. Just forget about Fight Club and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – I’d argue that this Madonna video is possibly his greatest contribution to the world. Not only does it provide a vehicle for an underground dance movement (indeed called “voguing,”) but it also showcased the cone-bra, which I will never understand for the life of me. It’s reminiscent of Old Hollywood, which is awesome, and it makes me wanna dance. When was the last time Tyler Durden gave you the urge to strike a pose?

Buddy Holly by Weezer, directed by Spike Jonze

Once again, Spike Jonze delivers pure gold, this time by taking geek-rockers Weezer and putting them right in the middle of a Happy Days episode, complete with a cameo by Al. The editing is spectacular and allows the band to interact with characters from the show, there’s even a brief “commercial break,” and even the laugh track is incorporated. HIGHLIGHT: Fonzie (with the help of a body double) dancing. He’s in perfect rhythm with the song!

Thriller by Michael Jackson, directed by John Landis

It’s Thriller. Need I say more?

The Scoop: 2008 R, directed by Danny Boyle & Loveleen Tandan, and starring Dev Patel, Anil Kapoor and Saurabh Shukla.

Tagline: What does it take to find a lost love?

Summary Capsule: Young man becomes a contestant on the Indian ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’ to gain the attention of his true love and maybe fulfill his ultimate destiny

Courtney’s Rating: I’m supposed to be doing homework, but this seemed far more important…

Courtney’s Review: So you all know how I kept talking about The Graduate like it’s the greatest movie of all time? (I’ve still yet to review it – ah, well, such is life.) Well, it should be noted that that was before I saw Slumdog Millionaire.

Okay, that’s not fair. I can’t really say that because I’ve only seen Slumdog once so far, so I don’t know how it holds up to repeat viewings. (The Graduate holds up spectacularly, by the way.) I was actually waiting until I could see it again to review it, but then Kyle beat me to the first review (and pretty much wrote what I wanted to say. But whatever. I’m totally stealing all of his extras. I’m incredibly lazy.) Then the Oscars came and there was this huge sweep and Indian child in Mumbai were dancing and crying and I just got really excited and started yearning to review the movie.

It’s been nearly two months since I saw the movie, but whatever. I just really, really wanted to do this now. Also, I’ve been really busy, the only other movies I’ve seen recently are He’s Just Not That Into You and A Very Brady Sequel (review to come soon,) and I haven’t filled this month’s quota yet. So, here you have it.

If I wasn’t a big Danny Boyle fan, I don’t think I would’ve heard about Slumdog until it won the Golden Globe. I also don’t think I would’ve wanted to see it. But as it is, I am a Boyle fan, I did hear about Slumdog, and I did want to see it. Since October I’ve been bugging people about trying to see it. Of course, I was still in Hungary and the movie had barely been released in the US and the UK, so it didn’t happen for a while. But when I came home in December, I was delighted to hear that it was playing at a theatre in my hometown. It was so worth the wait.

It’s almost hard to describe what Slumdog’s about, only because the premise sounds super corny. (”It’s Forrst Gump set in India!”) And it would be, but Simon Beaufoy and Boyle handled the themes delicately. It’s about destiny, which is normally the lazy screenwriters’ answer to unlikely plot points. I hate “destiny” in movies. But here it just works.

I know I’m sounding like Meredith Viera right now, but there really aren’t many lows in Slumdog. The romance between Jamal and Latika is admittedly pretty flimsy. We know that they love each other, but we don’t really know why. This did bother me for a while, but I think it works out. Halfway through, I just decided that it doesn’t really matter why they love each other for this specific movie. All that matters is that they do. Also, I think that the relationship between Jamal and Salim is the important one. It’s more dynamic, and my sister and I spent the entire ride home discussing it.

The story is pretty cliché, but it’s told with a unique voice and vision in a world we rarely see, which is what movies are supposed to do.

And the dance number was kind of weird, but really fun, so it all works out!

What makes this film so good is that you can just tell that everyone who worked on it was in love with it. It really shows through in every aspect, and I think that’s why it had such a major sweep with the Academy.

Slumdog Millionaire has gotten a lot of flak for being really optimistic. If you ask me, it’s all unwarranted. We need happy movies now more than ever, and I’m sorry, but the Dark Knight and Wendy and Lucy just don’t fulfill that need. The happiest movie to win the Best Picture Oscar between 2000 and 2008 was Chicago, a musical about murderers trying to con people into thinking they’re innocent, so I’d say Slumdog’s win was refreshing. And to think that it almost went straight to DVD.

Like most Americans, I love underdog stories. Slumdog Millionaire was the ultimate underdog story, in the universe of the film and in real life as well. I’d suggest it for anyone who likes to smile, or anyone who just loves movies.

Groovy Quotes

Prem Kumar: A few hours ago, you were giving chai for the phone walahs. And now you’re richer than they will ever be. What a player!Prem Kumar: Its getting hot in here.
Jamal Malik: Are you nervous?
Prem Kumar: [audience laughs] What? Am I nervous ? Its you who’s in the hot seat, my friend!
Jamal Malik: Yes, sorry.

Jamal Malik: When somebody asks me a question, I tell them the answer.

Prem Kumar: So are you ready for the final question for 20 million rupees?
Jamal Malik: No, but maybe its written, no?
Prem Kumar: Maybe…

If You Liked This Movie, Try These:

• Millions
• Bollywood/Hollywood
• Quiz Show

The Scoop: 2008 G, directed by Andrew Stanton and starring Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, and Jeff Garlin

Tagline: After 700 years of doing what he was built for – he’ll discover what he’s meant for.

Summary Capsule: Two robots, one distinctly female and the other just plain cute, fall in love while humanity gets lazier and lazier by the second.

Courtney’s Rating: Eagerly awaiting the inevitable Wall-E attraction at Disney World.

Courtney’s Review: I am not a huge Disney fan. Anyone who knows me can attest to that. I’m that chick whose always talking about how much better the world would be if children’s films didn’t promote stereotypes or provide shallow storylines. A big part of that is the fact that my family is very much Disney-obsessed, and being around all that magical goodness for two decades can really spoil the inner-child until it turns into a rotted, ironic version of itself. I have been desensitized, and therefore could have been perfectly happy living my whole life without ever having watched Pixar’s Wall-E. Perfectly happy, indeed.

But I would not have been a complete human being.

Okay, that sounds super corny. But it’s cool, ‘cause isn’t that what the Disney magic is all about?

Before I actually watched this movie, I thought I’d already figured it out. It was just a cheap attempt to make big bucks by introducing children to a saccharine love story involving an “adorable” character whose vocabulary is restricted to one word. Toss in a few fat-people gags for good measure. In a way, I guess I was correct, but when I actually did watch it, I was taken aback by its depth.

Knowing that most of the movie contained little to no dialogue, my expectation was that I’d be bored to death. Which is kind of why I watched it in the first place; I was flying home after my semester abroad, and I always have trouble sleeping on planes, so I thought a boring kids’ movie would lure me into a ten-hour coma. Fortunately (or unfortunately, however you wish to see it,) Wall-E proved to be far more interesting than I thought – so much so that I watched it a second time during the same flight.

What I thought was most awesome about it – and I absolutely love it when any movie is like this – was that it was incredibly entertaining and an intelligent piece of cinematic art. Because it works on these different levels, I can watch it while babysitting my neighbors’ kids or I can write a good 10-page analysis on it. And lord knows how much I love both of those! (The sad thing there is that I’m not being sarcastic. I actually do love babysitting and writing analytical papers…I usually don’t have a lot going on.)

The thing that’s frustrating right now is that I can’t quite figure out what was good and what was bad about the movie. I’m a little flummoxed – I think Pixar actually managed to balance everything so perfectly that it’s hard to say. I will let you know that anytime the humans were talking (like, using actual verbal language instead of delightful beeps and whirs,) I got bored. From a narrative perspective, it was a necessary sacrifice to take us out of the “silent film” thing. But I did want to fast-forward through all that and just watch Wall-E get himself into more hilarious predicaments with the evil robot.

Oh, and I really liked the OCD robot. He’s my favorite ever.

And because this is an animated movie, I’m going very easy on it for committing a crime I’d normally butcher a “legit” movie for. Like Lissa said, it’s not subtle. Like, at all. But then again, its target audience is about 7 years of age, and when I was that young, I didn’t know a darn thing about subtlety. Mickey, I grant you my forgiveness.

All I’m really trying to say here is that, despite my best efforts to hate on all things Disney-related, this was a genuinely beautiful movie. I even may have shed a tear or two, but it’s not like I’m gonna actually admit to that on the Internet. You have no proof!

And Peter Gabriel is at least 4 shades of awesome.

M-O: Like Roomba, but cuter. And more likely to clean your room.

Groovy Quotes

Teacher Robot: A is for Axiom, your home sweet home. B is for Buy N Large, your very best friend.

Voice in commercial: Too much garbage in your face? There’s plenty of space out in space! BnL StarLiners leaving each day. We’ll clean up the mess while you’re away.

Captain: AUTO! Earth is amazing! These are called “farms”. Humans who put seeds in the ground pour water on them, and they grow food – like, pizza!

Also check out Lissa’s, Drew’s, and Justin’s review of this film!

]]> http://mutantreviewers.com/blog1/courtney-does-wall-e/feed/ 0 http://mutantreviewers.com/blog1/the-mrfh-revue-2008-courtney/ http://mutantreviewers.com/blog1/the-mrfh-revue-2008-courtney/#comments Tue, 13 Jan 2009 12:43:51 +0000 Justin http://mutantreviewers.com/blog1/?p=443 If I’m being perfectly honest with you, I have to say that 2008 was a magnificent year for movies. For the first time in quite a while, the Good far outweighed the Bad. Granted I didn’t see every movie that came out, but by this point I know to stay far away from titles like The Love Guru and Disaster Movie, and anyone who doesn’t deserves to pay 9 bucks to sit through that kind of trash. But for the more selective film-lover, the pickins were mighty fine.

This year brought something for every kind of audience, and each of my personalities. My funny bone was tickled by Tropic Thunder, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, and Slumdog Millionaire. My feminine side adored Mamma Mia!, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, and Slumdog Millionaire. My inner-child fondly recalls Wall-E, Kung Fu Panda, and Slumdog Millionaire. That admittedly small piece of me which craves action hooted and hollered with Iron Man, The Dark Knight, and Slumdog Millionaire. And the pretentious-film-snob in me was moved by Milk, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Slumdog Millionaire.

(The first person to correctly guess my favorite movie of the year gets 150 bonus points, which are actually worth very little fiscally thanks to the recession. But you can’t put a price on the pride you’ll feel upon winning them!)

Alas, Newton’s Law states that for each good movie, there is an equal and inversely bad movie. Or something like that. And who am I to deny scientific fact? Here’s a list of some of the opposites I noticed this year:

Additions to Big Time Franchises: The Dark Knight vs. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull – I’ve already made clear my feelings concerning Nolan vs. Burton in my Batman Returns review, but that doesn’t mean I can deny the quality of story and character in The Dark Knight. It was a popcorn flick, but it was also genuinely intelligent and well-crafted. Indy 4 was an okay movie on its own, but when you consider the original trilogy, it’s just a hot mess.

CGI-Laden Action Movies: Iron Man vs. Wanted - While Iron Man was completely fun and managed to place Robert Downey Jr. back on the map, Wanted tried too hard to be edgy and came off as a cheap imitation of many far superior films.

Chick Flicks: Mamma Mia! vs. 27 Dresses – One of these movies features Meryl Streep and Christine Baranski belting out ABBA hits on a Greek island. The other is all about how Katherine Heigl can never be complete without a husband. Guess which one sucked.

Trailers for Movies I Didn’t Get To See In 2008: The Wrestler vs. Proud American – The trailer for The Wrestler was the first ever to move me so much emotionally that I burst into tears. I also cried when I watched the Proud American trailer, but that was from laughter.

Hollywood Studio Decisions: MPAA Negotiates with WGA vs. WB Delays Half-Blood Prince Release – Whether you supported the WGA strike or not, you have to admit that the real losers weren’t the writers or the producers; it was their audiences. So it was nice to have both organizations shake hands and make up. Then, just a few months later, Warner Brothers delayed the release of one of their most highly-anticipated films by 7 months and subsequently lie to fans about why they did it. As far as I’m concerned, that whole Watchmen ordeal was just karma.

After weighing the Good and the Bad, not only in film but also in current events and my own life, I have to say that it’s been a darn good 12 months overall. My main complaint is that I should be happy about 2009 – my sister’s getting married, I’m going to be a college senior, and I’m turning 21 – but I just can’t imagine how it could top ’08. After all, this was a landmark year for me. I became a world-traveler – I got to go to Europe for the first time, study abroad in Budapest, live in my own apartment for 4 months, and basically be the closest I’ve ever been to actual adult-life (which is scary, but I’m still alive with some of my soul intact.) And on top of it all, I became a Mutant! What could possibly beat that?

Then again, 9 is my lucky number…

The Scoop: 2003 R, directed by Nimród Antal and starring Sándor Csányi, Eszter Balla and Zoltán Mucsi.

Tagline: Murder. Mystery. Romance. Just another ride on the subway.

Summary Capsule: A ticket inspector for the Budapest metro with a pathological fear of the “above-ground” meets a serial killer and an adorable bear.

Courtney’s Rating: Egészségedre!

Courtney’s Review: At the time of my writing this review, I’m preparing for my final week living in Budapest, Hungary. I came here for a semester because my college has a direct study abroad program here and also because saying “I lived in Budapest for 4 months” sounds pretty cool. I’m absolutely in love with this city, and even though I can’t wait to see my family and friends again, I’m heart-broken that I can’t stay longer.

With that being said, there are some things I definitely will not miss. I won’t miss not being able to speak to my neighbors. I won’t miss my crappy Internet connection. And I really won’t miss using the metro at night. Budapest prides itself on having the second oldest metro in the world, but trust me when I say that they should do their best to hide that little nugget of trivia. It’s scary! It’s loud and rickety and smells funky and I just don’t like it. And now, because I’ve seen this movie, I’ve got potentially schizophrenic or inebriated metro employees and Reaper-esque “pushers” to worry about.

Kontroll is a psychological thriller from first-time director Nimród Antal that plunges headfirst into the underground civilization of the Budapest metro system. Here, there is no sunlight, only flickering fluorescents; teams of ticket inspectors challenge each other to “rail-runs” for sport; and our hero Bulcsú will do just about anything to avoid going up into the real world. It starts off as a dark comedy about how much being a ticket inspector sucks because you just get yelled at and the underground is seedy and gross and makes you go crazy. But more grim issues arise as we watch a mysterious hooded figure push random passengers in front of oncoming trains, and the film seamlessly shifts into a much gloomier tone.

But for every force of darkness, there is light. Here, Bulscú meets Szofi, the daughter of an alcoholic train driver who gets to ride the metro for free. She’s almost always dressed up like a teddy bear, but it’s never really made clear why. It’s implied that she wears it for work, but I think she wears it just because she’s endearing and quirky. If the Pusher represents fear and aggression, then Szofi represents guidance and love. A movie can be both artsy and entertaining after all!

Some of the more memorable supporting characters include Bulcsú’s ragtag team of inspectors – Professor, a sage in his own right, Lecsó, who has some anger issues, Muki, the narcoleptic comic-relief, and Tibi, the new guy. There’s some competition from Gonzó and his inspection team, and repression in the form of a sinister metro manager. We also get to see some interesting passengers come and go, always screaming about the injustices forced upon them by the inspectors and trying to retaliate

There’s a really fantastic montage sequence in the film in which all of the inspectors are required to be evaluated by a psychiatrist. This sequence takes place between some really intense, edge-of-your-seat scenes, and it provides some much needed humor. It also serves to show just how screwed up these people’s jobs are. They’re enforcing the law and making sure people pay their dues, but everybody hates them for it. This is really the thematic core of the film, and everything else is designed to create an entire dystopian vibe around it.

I don’t want to spoil this movie too much or anything, so I’ll just say that the ending is similar to Fight Club, but not exactly the same. It’s more open-ended, and I really appreciate that it lets you do the interpreting yourself. It’s definitely a thinker if you want to get into it.

From a technical aspect, this film is very impressive for its minuscule budget. It was all filmed on location during the metro’s off hours, which gave them only about five hours a night to work. All of the stunts are real – they used real trains and everything, which is kind of scary. I don’t know what they did with the lighting to make it look so good on camera, but it worked wonderfully! There are a few continuity errors, but overall, it’s crafted with extraordinary quality and care.

I’m not sure how available this is in the States or Canada or wherever you might be right now, but I’d definitely recommend it if you can manage to get your hands on it. The actors speak a weird language and you won’t want to go near a subway platform for a while, but it’s funny and crazy and all the good things a modern movie should be!

(By the way, the rating is a Hungarian toast. It means “to your health.” Just so you don’t think I snuck in some adult material on a PG-13 site…).

Fear the furry wrath of Pooh!

• Hungarians are notoriously mean to strangers. The movie didn’t exaggerate that part at all.
• And yes, Hungarian women do dress like that in broad daylight.
• How insane would you have to be to do the rail-runnings?
• The drunken woman on the escalator at the beginning of the film is wearing a belt which moves around between shots.
• The part where Tibi accidentally hits a column during the Bootsie chase wasn’t in the script, but the director decided to keep it in the movie.
• There are no clues to who or what the Árnyék is.
• The film includes an introduction by the director of the Budapest Metro, who says that the film is a work of fiction and that employees of the Metro don’t behave as shown.
• A couple of Hungarian directors have cameos in this film: Gábor Herendi as one of the ambulance crew, and Péter Bergendy as a bearded ticket inspector during the staff briefing scene.

Is the symbolism here to heavy for you?

Not sure. I don’t think it’s really customary to do those post-credits scenes in Hungary, so probably not.

Intermission!

This was the first Hungarian film on the Cannes Film Festival in 20 years.

In an Interview, director Nimród Antal said that Andrei Tarkovsky’s Solyaris (1972) was a great inspiration for his film.

Gábor Piroch, the famous Hungarian stuntman, left the Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines production for two days to help with this Hungarian production.

The stunt work at the end of the “railrun” between Bulcsú and Gonzó when the underground almost hits Gonzó is real, and no special effects where used.

I'll bet he contracts all sorts of diseases lying there...

Szofi: [at subway vending machines] Nice place. Come here often?
Bulcsú: Only when I really want to impress a girl.

Soundtrack Review

The music here is all very industrial and heavy. Most of it is instrumental rock, but there’s some techno and a couple songs that I’m guessing are popular in Hungary. It fits great with the film, but none of it stands out on its own.

If you liked this movie, try these:

• Fight Club

• Solyaris
• American Psycho