"Funny Games" is not so funny

"You must admit, you brought this on yourself."

I'll start off with Funny Games. I saw the movie - starring Naomi Watts and Tim Roth - Sunday night at Alamo Drafthouse and loved it! The film is a shot-by-shot remake of the Austrian film by the same name and same director.
The film is, of course, not for entertainment. Two young men hold hostage a lovely little American family when they go off on vacation. What I loved most is Michael Haneke's own game of playing with the audience. The film is obviously not made for entertainment considering the plot and the violence; it is a message to movie-goers everywhere. And I completely agree and love it. I'm not sure if I could watch the film simply because it is quite disturbing but I am very interested in watching the 1997 Austrian version.
I read in an interview with Naomi Watts that Haneke encouraged the characters to have different physical and emotional actions because they are American in this 2008 version instead of Austrian. Naomi Watts also talked about the acceptance of the film and how one of the most intriguing aspects is Haneke's toying with the audience.
Personally, if Haneke didn't have the message to the audience I think the film would have been a waste of time. But it kept me entertained and shocked the entire time. I highly recommend it!

Have you seen the full-length trailer for Mamma Mia!? It's disappointing. I do enjoy some Abba songs (who doesn't?!) and I am in love with the loverly Meryl Streep, but those are my only motivations for planning on seeing the movie. It just seems... lame and cheesy. From the trailer it's too childish and playful, like the actors were running around the beach all day and THEN filmed without any care in the world. But, we'll see.

Look at the suckfest of movies coming out this weekend! Drillbit Taylor (I could stand you in The Darjeeling Limited, Owen, but I will not tolerate you here), Meet the Browns (it would take too long to complain about this one), Shutter (another scary movie with a pretty girl, pretty boy, and creepy Asian girl with a tongue problem - why?!), and La Misma Luna (this trailer looks SO. EFFING. CHEESY.). So, I won't be going to the movies this weekend! I hope you won't, too.

UT is having a screening of Juno on March 27! :)

Last comment: I Am Legend came out on DVD yesterday. Don't waste your time. I hate that movie with a fiery passion.

Tiff.. is this boring? I think this is boring, me blabbing about movies.

I'm BACK!

Watch out!

SO! I haven't posted in this thing in almost a year and Tiff brought it up that I should continue.. but now.. get ready.. it's a critic's blog! Me. Criticizing movies (as if you [all] haven't heard it before). I'm quite good at bitching in general, but I think I would receive an A+ in movie bitching. If there was a class where we just bitched about movies, I would achieve a 1o5.

So last year was 2007 and it was wonderful movie-watching experience.. I actually saw nearly every film I wanted to see and nearly every film nominated for an Oscar. That was my goal so I could rightfully judge the winners and nominees and I will say that I am extremely pleased with the result. And, as everyone knows, Marion Cotillard deserved the Oscar for Best Actress and she got it!

As for the year of 2008... does NOT look promising. Jesus, I hate the period after the Oscars because it's a crapfest of films! The other day I watched THREE - count 'em THREE - trailers that involve poker! Who the hell cares about poker?! One of which is the new film with I-no-longer-have-a-career Keven Spacey ("Don't call me dude") and I-look-pretty-but-not-that-pretty-and-can't-act Kate Bosworth called "21". And why, why Jim Sturgess, are you working in a male suit store and can do amazing math but cannot afford college? Ever heard of an INTERNSHIP?! I guarantee you there are businesses that need mathematicians like you!

I watched "The Hulk" trailer the other day and have to say I was very impressed. I'm not a Hulk fan and - like everyone else - couldn't stand the 10 minutes I saw of Ang Lee's remake of the film a few years ago. But I have to say, the trailer was good. And you can't go wrong with Edward Norton.

Harry Potter news! "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" will be split into TWO films. Screw that! WB just wants MONEY. I think it's a terrible idea. Yes, the book was long. Yes, all the books are long. Yes, they cut things out of the books repeatedly. BUT the movies are wonderful. Always enjoyable. I see them as their own art form; the books are different. Better and different. Half the time in Book 7, the trio is hopping around the countryside. And someone - I think David Heyman - said both films might be both 2.5 hours long. KILL ME. How can they do that?! I don't understand it. But we all know that I'm going to go see the movies at midnight and enjoy every second of it and see them both 24324.3423 times in theaters.

As for DVDs.. last week I bought "No Country For Old Men" and LOVED it all over again! I especially love the ending. So many people were pissed but I love it!! And I also rented, watched, and fell in love with "The Darjeeling Limited." I cannot wait to get my hands on that DVD! It's beautiful and hilarious and wonderful!

Okay, I'm off to see "Funny Games" soon! I shall update with my review another day/tonight!