Sinister Trout Speaks

This is one of my favorite flicks.  I’m a big Wes Anderson fan and Bottle Rocket is his first and best film (in my opinion).

The story follows some young Gen Xers looking to impress a local mob boss.  That’s about it!  The plot is simple and full of Wes Anderson quirkiness.

There is a simplicity in Bottle Rocket that is very charming and it is interesting to see a young director find his groove.

Fan’s of Mr. Anderson will enjoy this film and may find it a breathe of fresh air from his heavier movies like The Darjeeling Limited and Life Aquatic - though I liked those both as well.

Bottle Rocket:  Wes Anderson 1.0 and if anything you get to see Owen Wilson really act - must be his hair cut.

4.5 of 5 Fish Heads!

Terry Gilliam  gets a lot of flack.

Personally I think he is one of the greatest visionaries of our time.  Maybe I just have a soft spot for people who think outside of the box and don’t conform to conventional ways.

If you are familiar with Mr. Gilliam’s work then you know his films can be a bit strange - just check out Brazil, Time Bandits, 12 Monkeys, or his first film Jabberwocky.  If you can get past his quirkiness then you are rewarded with some great movies.

One of my personal favorites is the one movie that nearly ended his career - The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.

This is a fun movie that ironically is the most straightforward film that Terry Gilliam directed.  Look for some classic actors and actresses (including a young Sarah Polley), fantastic sets that were ahead of its time, and one of the best musical scores a film could have. 

Kids will find this film enjoyable and in a time where just about every movie can’t get away with sex and violence, its a movie the whole family can enjoy!

Cripes - I sound like a commercial!

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen:  Terry Gilliam’s bedtime story that will not put you to sleep.

3.5 out of 5 fish heads!

I’ve noticed that the western is somewhat making a comeback.

Credit must be given to films like Unforgiven and 3:10 to Yuma for breathing life back into this lost genre.  Its easy to classify the classic western with relics like John Wayne and Clint Eastwood.  Good in their own right but the movies they star in are dated and boring.

If you are looking for a good western I recommend Silverado.  This is a great film with modern western flair.  Its roster is equally impressive: Kevin Klein, Danny Glover, Scott Glen, Jeff Goldblum, a young Kevin Costner, and a member of Monty Python.

Silverado:  Survived the 80’s and holds its own amongst the classic westerns.

4 out of 5 Fish Heads

TDK is only a month old and people all already talking about who the next villain(s) will be.

So not wanting to upset the comic book-geek order, I’ll throw in my two cents.

Ok folks - lets keep things in perspective…

Remember that Nolan and Co. have built their Batman universe on the realistic arc.  So forget about all of the fanciful characters like Mr. Freeze, Clayface, Poison Ivy, etc.

I’ve heard/read that Catwoman and Penguin would not be considered.  So that does narrow the field somewhat.  (Though I think Catwoman would be excellent - I nominate Megan Fox)

The natural choice seems to be The Riddler. 

Gary Oldman leaked that this may be a possibility and I’m sure they would have a great time playing off the human traps that Riddler was famous for.

Leaving TDK the organized crime was leaderless - so I’d love to see Nolan put a spin on Scarface.

Then there is Black Mask - who was supposedly considered for TDK and I can see Anthony Michael Hall taking that role.

We should remember that Nolan still has yet to commit to directing a new Batman.  With Bale in for a 3rd flick, I can see him beating the Nolan drum.  Plus I’m sure WB will do everything in their power to get Nolan back in the director’s chair.

Regardless Nolan and his writers have definitely proved that they can make any villain work.  So I trust their decisions and hope they sign up for number three.

Who do you think should be the next Batman villain?

This unique foreign film is based on the memoir of the same title by French journalist, Jean-Dominique Bauby.

For those unfamiliar - Bauby was a prominent journalist for ELLE until he suffered a massive stroke that knocked him into a coma for 20 days.  When he awoke he found that he was 100% mentally aware of his surroundings but his body was left completely immobile except for slight movements of his head and the ability to blink his left eye.  He also couldn’t speak.

Despite these limitations he was able to dictate his memoirs.

I’m a big fan of foreign film and will watch them when I need a brain charge.  However, I found Diving Bell and the Butterfly a little lacking in substance.  You watch the majority of the film from the perspective of Bauby but it looses a lot of steam by dong this.  Though it does give the viewer a strong idea of what it must have been to live as him.

Still, if you are into foreign film, Bell and the Butterfly does deserve a viewing.  Rent it and maybe you won’t bore you like it did me.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: Could have been more interesting as a documentary but still have to give props to the director attempting to make an artistic film of a truly remarkable human being.

3 out 5 Fish Heads!