August movies

Highlight of the month [obviously, not counting a midnight screening of The Big Lebowski that saw quite a few dress-ups like the image to the left of "The Dude" and "Walter" done up Tulsa style] was watching the pitch-black Irish comedy The Guard with Scott while in London. Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle are the most unlikely of comic pairings in 2011. See this one if you get the chance. Gleeson fans in particular should run to the theatre and watch his dazzling performance as a small-time local cop with a taste for hard living, women and politically incorrect opinions.

Right before I met Scott, I killed some time in the nerd nirvana known as Forbidden Planet. Their science fiction book section downstairs is a mindblower for sci-fi fans in terms of sheer number of offerings. Lots of English sci-fi you don't see in America. I was disciplined and only got three books including Ready Player One with a much better cover than the edition that just came out in the USA. I like my sci-fi.

Finally saw Super 8. Pretty mediocre actually. I wish it had absolutely no aliens in the story. Had it just been about these kids trying to make a super 8 film in the early 1980s without all the action, aliens and that stuff, I would have liked it a lot more. Fun in spots, but nothing more than that.


High Ballin'---1978---usa   **
30 Minutes or Less---2011---usa   ***
The Infidel---2010---england   **
The Help---2011---usa   ***1/2
The Girl from Paris---2001---france   ***1/2
Rise of the Planet of the Apes---2011---usa   ***
Revanche---2008---austria   ***
Paul---2011---usa   ***
Unknown---2010---usa   ***
The Guard---2011---ireland   ****
Salt of Life---2011---italy   ***1/2
Star Trek---2009---usa   ****
The Band That Wouldn't Die---2010---usa   ***
Chasing 3000---2007---usa   **1/2
Our Idiot Brother---2011---usa   ***1/2
The Big Lebowski---1998---usa   *****!
Super 8---2011---usa   ***
Hot Coffee---2011---usa   ***1/2