Thursday, December 20, 2007

A Fistfull of Movie Tickets



Boy am I sad.

I woke up, with nothing to do (I have a novel that needs finishing? Oh yeah...) so I decided to spend my day at the movies. I got online and remembered that my friend (whom I haven't spoken to in a while) Jimu recommended I AM LEGEND, so I decided to see that. Then I saw THE MIST. I have tickets for the midnight showing of WALK HARD (WALK THE LINE/music bio-pic spoof).

Where to begin...

I AM LEGEND is exactly as Jimu described it...it's CAST AWAY with vampires. I honestly had low expectations going in. Will Smith is a charming dude, but he always plays the same character...Will Smith. Oh sure, he's a fighter pilot (Will Smith as a fighter pilot). Now he's a matchmaker? Will Smith the matchmaker. He doesn't act, he's just himself all the time. Like Jack Nicholson (who is great) basically just acts crazy all in every role (whether he should be crazy or not). But Will really carried this movie I AM LEGEND. Be warned, it's a very quiet movie (like CAST AWAY) so if you go see it at the movies don't sit next to the sniffly guy (like I did), lest you ruin the creepy ambiance. Despite the PG-13 rating there were a few really intense (read: scary) parts.

THE MIST, however is another ball of shit (literally). I saw it because I like Stephen King. God only knows why he let's them keep adapting his books, they've only gotten two right (THE GREEN MILE and THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION). I was hopeful because THE MIST was written and directed by the guy that did both of those movies. But alas, the movie was hampered by a weak script and lousy (like TV movie-of-the-week bad) special effects. You know how it looks when CGI creatures flop around, all lifeless and obviously not really there? Lots of that. The whole movie was basically the spider-pit scene in Peter Jackson's KING KONG. Spiders that spit acid, tentacles (with no body, at least that we see) that have teeth and claws.

I was very hopeful at the beginning of the flick, especially when the Gunslinger from the DARK TOWER popped up (yes! that's right, he makes a fuckin' cameo!!!!). That reminds me, I need to read the rest of that series...anyway, the movie was shit--avoid at all costs. Go re-watch the old b/w TWILIGHT ZONE episode "The Monsters are due on Maple Street," because that's what King (basically) ripped off. Except there are actual monsters...whatever.

I've seen so many people die today--so many monsters. I'm so ready to laugh at WALK HARD. If you're awake at midnight, think of me...alone, and laughing in a theater.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Keith & I recently realized that we haven't been to a movie theatre all year! Undoubtedly we'll see one or two over the holidays, but Netflix has us doing the matinee thing right in our own bedroom. Yesterday, it was "Shaun of the Dead" (funny), "Running with Scissors" (provacative and the one that produced the most converation), and "Once," a sweet Indie flick with a bittersweet ending that I highly recommend.

Jason said...

SHAUN OF THE DEAD is great, you need to see the movie those guys did next HOT FUZZ (instead of zombies, they poke fun at action movies). Love those brits.

Me and Leah do the Blockbuster mail-service, but we're about to switch back to Netflix because they keep changing the terms.

Isn't it great when you come home and find a movie waiting for you?