Flixd: eight

There is no seven. Not so lucky now, are you July? For the most part, July saw the consumption of video games during my free time and no so much with any television or movies. Okay, maybe a few Sox games, but that’s about it. August swung back pretty much the other way. A whole lot of movies and not much gaming. Most of the movies are also old, which means they’ve been slowly bubbling up the queue and I just went with it. September has been about the same, but I will promise you now there are way more recent movies. Let’s get this late August post out there first, shall we?

As usual, thoughts and heads. This is a long list, so less thought and more heads. I don’t know what that means.

The Good Shepherd
I’d like to believe this is what Angelina Jolie is always like in real life; crazy and drunk. I actually didn’t hate her in this, but really, it was Matt Damon that shined here. I loves me a good spy movie and this one didn’t disappoint.
[ob1 4]

Orange County
I feel like I have seen this before… hmm… oh yeah, some movie called Risky Business starring an alien worshiping dude. Well, Colin Hanks was on Roswell. I actually like him when he does show up in stuff, which was two movies this month. Probably just because he learned a few things about acting from his dad. Jack Black was tolerable in this, even in his tighty-whities (brownies).
[ob1 3]

The School of Rock
That said about the OC, this was just awful. I got maybe halfway through it. Maybe.
[ob1 0]

The Pursuit of Happyness
More alien worshipers. Well, Will Smith further proves he’s the man. The guy really never sucks in anything. Am I right? I mean, even Hancock was half decent because of him. His real-life son plays his son in this one and I actually think it was a good call. If I remember right, the kid did have to audition and all that, but there was an extra something present with their dynamic that probably wouldn’t have been there otherwise. Inspiring story and highly recommended.
[ob1 4]

The Holiday
A Jack Black trifecta? Yeah, but he’s playing it mostly straight here. Not sure why this was in my queue though. I don’t really like him that much and I almost always hate the Cameron Diaz. Kate Winslet was nice and Jude Law was tolerable. As for the story, it was alright. The side stuff with Law and his daughters and Winslet with the old writer were probably the most interesting bits.
[ob1 3]

Music and Lyrics
Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore are an odd pair. Actually, pretty much anyone is an odd pair with him unless he picked them up in LA for a hundy. Again, not sure why this was in here. I guess I thought the trailer was passable when it hit theaters. I do like Drew, but I don’t know. Meh.
[ob1 2]

Breach
Chris Cooper nails everything he is in, doesn’t he? I did feel like they left some things unexplained or not quite fleshed out in the story, but this was a very good movie. You should definitely check this one out.
[ob1 4]

Factory Girl
Even though she is probably complete whack job, I have been in love with Sienna Miller ever since she showed up on Keen Eddie. I really miss that show. Wish it lasted longer slash did better. Anyway, based on this, Warhol was even creepier than I thought. Also, I am sure am glad I never got into the drugs.
[ob1 3]

The Dukes of Hazzard
Johnny Knoxville nails everything he is in, doesn’t he? Okay, maybe not quite the same as Cooper, but I do like him. He and Stifler made a good team even though the rest of the movie was just okay. Willie Nelson and Burt Reynolds were fun as Jesse and the Boss. Jessica Simpson didn’t wear much to distract you from her brain (or lack thereof).
[ob1 3]

Match Point
I liked another Woody Allen movie, go figure. Was it because he wasn’t in this one either? Perhaps, but the cast that was there all did a good job and weren’t typical of an Allen flick, except for maybe ScarJo who seems to be in all of them these days. Recommended.
[ob1 3]

House of Flying Daggers
So, this was another one of those flicks you feel were inspired by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I didn’t recognize anyone other than Zhang Ziyi in this one though. Good enough though. That girl is absolutely amazing.
[ob1 3]

Memoirs of a Geisha
Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi? Yes please. Thought the story was very good. The sets, costumes and rest of the cast also stood out.
[ob1 4]

The House Bunny
I actually streamed this one. I find Anna Faris pretty good in most things, so what the heck. Colin Hanks shows up as a lead. (Out of nowhere this is a double Colin Hanks movie month?) Nothing new about the basic story though.
[ob1 3]

Ghost in the Shell: Solid State Society
Maybe the best of the standalone movies. The two seasons of the series are great if you are at all a fan of futuristic mecha type anime. I probably don’t peg the genre right, but it is a pretty cool concept and this was a good story.
[ob1 4]

Smart People
The Thomas Hayden Church and Ellen Page side-story(?) was odd at best. Thought both gave great performances overall. Sarah Jessica Parker and Dennis Quaid were passable at best. Watch it for the supporting actors, not the leads.
[ob1 3]

Dead Space: Downfall
An animated setup to the suprising hit video game from last year. In fact, there was a third component to the story in the form of a comic book mini-series, but I haven’t seen that at all. Might be worth picking up in a trade format, but as far as this component goes, it did add much for me. I thought the game did a good job revealing how it all started and this didn’t really fill in much. No value add for me, but at least it was a streamer instead of a mailer.
[ob1 2]

Shades of Ray
I also streamed this one. Think I caught it in the new list of releases that they highlighted in the new Xbox interface. Zachary Levi, the lead in Chuck (one of my favorite shows), and Sarah Shahi caught my eye. Also, Fran Kranz plays Levi’s best friend slash roommate. He plays Topher on Dollhouse. Anyway, it was a pretty fun little flick. You might want to stream it too.
[ob1 4]

Enchanted
Definitely a chick flick? I’m not so sure. I’d say there’s something here for everyone. The Disney self-deprecating comedy was excellent. Oh, and yes, Amy Adams is quite possibly the most beautiful girl in the world. Or maybe it is Zhang Ziyi. Or maybe Sarah Shahi. Or maybe ScarJo. But definitely not Jessica Simpson.
[ob1 4]

Also took in a Bond double feature of Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace on the Blu-ray. I checked those out in the theater when they released, so they don’t get reviewed here. Check the archives though. You can search or click a relevant tag up top because I am too lazy to make specific links.