When You're Strange

I truly riveting documentary about The Doors. The film mixes archival footage, Johnny Depp's laidback and simplistic narration and, of course, the band's music. The narration is exception. It's very spare. Almost as if it were the notes the author worked off. Yet it tells the story so well. Details that i had never heard of (and I thought of myself as a failry big fan) came out and were explored. There's a particularly mesmerizing sequence where the band plays "The End" at the Isle of Wight festival. Their performance is intercut with iconic images from the tumultuous years they were popular. The behind the scenes footage of the band is fantastic and the dteail of the storytelling was exceptional. A very simple, but wonderful film.

Land of the Lost

This movie is stupid and nonsensical, but it's some of the best goofing around I've seen Will Ferrell do in a long time. Danny McBride is also funny. Unfortunately, this movie was so hellbent on being a big budget movie that there's all kinds of effects and random images that just kinda leave a clutter. The story is, predictably stupid, but a nice homage to the series. In short, it was a lot more fun than I was expecting.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno

This settles it for me. Seth Rogen is not meant to be the lead in a film. He can be a wonderful spice to a funny movie, but not the main dish. He just fell so flat here. Kevin Smith can write some funny lines, but he's so bad at directing. It always feels like people are just reading the words, not believing them. And he's so in love with his dialogue that the scene stagger on for minutes longer than it needs to be. That being said there were some moments here that made me laugh and Elizabeth Banks was really good. It just felt as amateurish as the film within the film.

The Proposal

I can't believe I didn't hate this. It looked so awful. Don't get me wrong, it was bad. But it was... watchable. I do like Ryan Reynolds and how can you not like Sandra Bullock. She's so bubbly! There were a lot of forced comedy sequences that are pretty terrible, but they usually can charm past them. When it isn't shoehorning itself into contrived segments it's okay. The high concept thing doesn't really make sense and once they fall for each other it goes on for waaay too long. Like I said... this is bad. I was just surprised that it didn't completely fall flat.

The 16th Man

An ESPN documentary about the 1995 South African Rugby team which won the World Cup and more importantly inspired a Clint Eastwood film. This is pretty dull and and by the numbers story telling here. There was no human element, I felt. The stuff about the rebirth of South Africa felt really simplistic and didactic. It just never came together.

Broadstreet Bullies

An HBO documentary of the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1970s. I really thought they did a great job of telling the story. As someone who doesn't follow the sport, I found it accessible and really fun. The interviews were all right to the point and the footage was great. It had a kind of sweeping storyline, but it also was very human. I can't wait to see the scripted version.

Transporter 3

Shame on me for trying this franchise yet again. God help me, but I like Jason Statham. For my fanhood he rewards me with six or seven unwatchable action films a year and every five years or so he makes "The Bank Job" or some bearable film. This movie... even by the standards of the "Transporter" franchise... is horrendous. The action is just plain bad. The plot isn't muddled... it just isn't there. But most perplexing is the casting of his love interest. I'll let them get away with casting someone who can't act. But can't act and isn't good looking? Come on. Horrible.