Sinister Trout Speaks

This movie got some flack when it came out and many find it boring.  I, however, consider it one of David Fincher’s best.

If you know anything of the Zodiac then it was one of the most unusual and intriguing serial killer stories. 

Fincher does a terrific  job - sticking close to the facts and not allowing Hollywood to get it’s messy hands all over things.

The two worthy performances go to Mark Ruffalo as detective David Toschi and Robert Downey Jr. who plays the alcoholic reporter, Paul Avery.  As soon as I saw his performance in Zodiac I knew he was perfect for Iron Man.

Zodiac moves at a steady pace and I can see why some people would hit the snooze button on this one.  There isn’t a lot of action and there are no real answers.  But that’s what happened!

Zodiac:  Something a little different that doesn’t need wham-bam action to tell a good story.  If you buy the DVD, get the collector’s edition.  The extras go deeper into the Zodiac story with interviews of the people who were involved in the crimes.

4 of 5 fish heads!

I like to put movies on in the background when I’m working.

Today I put in Return of the Jedi and I realized something…. this movie really sucks! 

Seriously!

It was never my favorite of the Star Wars films but, man what a pile!!

So what makes Return of the Jedi such a horrible movie?  Well, that should be obvious - but for those who need a reminder, here is one of my patent pending Top Ten(ish) Lists.

11)Ewoks - why?

10)Ewoks

9)Ewoks - I did mention the Ewoks right?

8)Acting - Star Wars was never known for caliber performances but the dialogue in Jedi is a preview of things to come in Phantom, Clone Wars, and Revenge of the Sith.

7)Light Saber Fight Sucks - probably the 2nd worst light saber battle.  Worst going to A New Hope.  This should have been bigger and more dramatic - I mean its father vs. son for cripes sake!

6)Carrie Fisher - yes I know she was hot in that slave girl outfit but her acting in Jedi rivals only Jaba’s performance.  She must have been on the pot between takes.

5)C3-PO - even more annoying than usual.

4)Regurgitation - A new Death Star?  Alright.. all the creative juices must have been burned up by Georgie boy.

3)No Story - as far as Star Wars movies go.  Rescue Han?  Yes, then nothing until the attack on Endor and the new Death Star.  Could have been a made for TV special.

2)Worst movie ending ever - OK take into consideration that this the finale (for now) of the Star Wars series.  You would think there would be a little more thought behind it.  Nope.  Just a bunch a people and bears dancing to some horrible music, cut away scenes of celebration that don’t fit, and to top it off - a very staged pose of the cast and then FADE OUT!!

1)The Musical Number - as bad as all that is, it pales in comparison to the little ditty in Jaba’s palace.  Way to upgrade George.  Words fail…

Jedi is a sad ending to a truly original concept. 

If for some reason you have not watched any of the Star Wars movies (and I do know some of you) stick with the best trilogy: Revenge of the Sith, A New Hope, and Empire Strikes Back.

Have you ever played or heard of Dungeons and Dragons?  Have you ever heard of role playing? - not that type of role playing - Live action role playing or Larping.

Believe it or not there are people  who do this.  They dress up, pretend they are elves, carry fake swords and proceed to beat the crap out of each other.

This is live action role playing.

Don’t get me wrong - I’m all about doing what you want to do in your spare time and maybe its different when you are actually involved in it.  But sitting and watching grown adults attack a castle made out of cardboard with form swords and arrows is quite hysterical.

Darkon is a documentary that follows the "story" of these people, what they are like, and how their real life and fantasy life intertwine.

Though a documentary, I would consider Darkon a comedy because it is very difficult to take it seriously.

Darkon:  Suffers from a -2 penalty for being stupid

2 out of 5 fish heads

Sorry for the lack of posts.  I’ve been busy watching The Dark Knight - no joke!  (Forgive the pun)  What a great movie.  I just saw it again for the third time and noticed the wide variety of audience members. 

Hats off to Nolan and co.

This lead me to think back when I was a small fry and witnessed a remarkable event in cinematic history - the release of Tim Burton’s Batman in 1989.

I think its a fair statement that without Mr. Burton’s Batman, there wouldn’t have been Batman Begins or The Dark Knight.  Or maybe we have Joel Schumacher to thank… who knows.

I saw Batman seven times in the theater (that was $35 at the time) and was lucky to see it opening night.  People cheered and clapped and gave it nothing but praise.  It seems only now in light of the success of the Nolan’s films, that Keaton and Burton are getting the flack.

Batman: Stands on its own and its worth a few bucks if you haven’t seen it already.  The collector’s edition DVD is worth the purchase if only for the history of how Batman came to the screen.

4 out of 5 fish heads!

So I’ve seen The Dark Knight and for me it did live up to its hype. It’s a great film that stands on its own. I truly enjoyed watching this flick and Heath Ledger’s performance – as we expected – did not disappoint.

Which leads me to the current buzz that’s been heating up the Internet -

Will Heath Ledger receive and Oscar nomination?

I believe he will.

Heath truly embraced and translated a character to the screen. Unlike many comic book films where you know and accept an actor or actress is playing a “character”, Heath Ledger’s Joker never breaks that invisible wall.

While watching the film, not once did I see Heath Ledger on the screen. This was The Joker – they found him and filmed him. I was at first hesitant how the realistic-minimalist-makeup-look would translate but Heath’s performance immediately dispelled any concerns. In my opinion he could have done that part without make up and still would have convinced me he was The Joker.

Now the bigger question?

Will Heath Ledger win an Oscar?

That very much depends, of course, if he receives a nomination but he has a good chance.  Acceptance of Lord of the Rings and Johnny Depp’s nomination of Captain Jack Sparrow have opened doors for this to happen.

It will be very interesting to see how this plays out.

Thank you Heath Ledger and good luck!