Jesus Camp

This movie was just as scary as I was expecting it to be. Not only that, it reminded me a bit of people I've known, and the youth group I used to attend. It is somewhat scary to realize that I could have become as fanatical as the people in this movie. The radio show host, clips of whom are interspersed throughout the footage of the camp and the personal interviews of those involved, is the voice of reason in this. He is shockingly rational about his faith and about Christianity in general. It is terrifying to see the process of brainwashing the kids in this movie endure. They are basically being made into political tools by the evangelical adults portrayed here. What is really unsettling is that there are a lot of people whose beliefs are very similar to what's shown in the film. It is a must-see, people need to be aware of this huge influence on politics - after all, evangelical Christians have a huge amount of voting power.

Grade: A

The Heartbreak Kid

This is the newest Ben Stiller movie. A guy rushes into a marriage with a girl that seems perfect, only to become someone else entirely on their honeymoon. During these horrors, he falls in love with another woman. It's pretty funny. No, not a great message or anything. I didn't like the ending. But it was decent.

Grade: C+/B-

Eagle Vs. Shark

This is a New Zealand-made romantic comedy starring Jemaine Clement (of Flight of the Conchords). It is really awkward but funny. If you like FOTC, you may like this. A lot of people (online anyway) criticize it for being too much like Napoleon Dynamite; I don't think it's really like it other than being in the awkwardly-funny camp. But I enjoyed it a lot more than Napoleon Dynamite. Anyway, I thought it was quirky and cute.

Grade: B

30 Days of Night

My friend Lee told me this movie was good. I expected an amusing vampire-horror-gorefest, but it was actually better than that. It was quite enjoyable, and the ending was touching and sad. There is a great shot from above showing the carnage the vampires are causing. It's tense and has a lot of shock-you moments. The vampires are not pretty, as is often the case in vampire movies. It is a different kind of vampire flick. Josh Hartnett is pretty good. Also pretty good-looking. That never hurts, I guess. I read that part (or most?) of it was filmed in New Zealand. Also the deputy guy would occasionally sound like he had a Kiwi accent - turns out he's from NZ. Anywho, I'd recommend this to people who like a good horror film.

Grade: B

No Country for Old Men

This was a stunning masterpiece of a film. The cinematography is absolutely breathtaking. Javier Bardem did indeed deserve the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor - he is fantastic. Tommy Lee Jones, too, is great. It is tense, captivating, and thought-provoking. I am still thinking about what it means. There is a lot of visual metaphor and symbolism, and I think a lot of what is said is important. One thing it is saying is that America itself is No Country for Old Men - it is harsh, it is violent, and it is unforgiving. There are people like Chigurh who do get away with it. But when the time comes, will you be brave enough to do what you must? I don't know if Ed Tom Bell goes after Chigurh in the end or not. It is ambiguous. I think correctly interpreting the dreams at the end is crucial - and I'm not sure if I'm ready to do so or not. Which is why I'm now reading the book.

Grade: A+

The Brave One

My mom highly recommended this one, though she said it was emotionally draining. It is indeed very good and emotionally draining, and also extremely thought-provoking. Some of the shots are absolutely brilliant: the scene where it cuts from a love scene to doctors cutting away her clothes... each passionate touch by her boyfriend mirrored by a clinical touch on the same place... amazing. I would highly recommend this movie. I have always had a thing for revenge flicks... but this one is so reflective, and chock full of meaning.

Grade: A

Sweeney Todd

I highly enjoyed this - despite the girl next to me humming every song along with the movie somewhat annoyingly, and despite losing my cell phone in the middle of it and freaking out about that (I found it later by the way). Yes, it was gory, but it was also masterfully dark and darkly humorous. The music was great, and so were the performances. Johnny Depp has an excellent voice, it turns out, and does a great job in his portrayal of Sweeney Todd. Helena Bonham Carter is exquisite as always, and Sacha Baron Cohen is also fantastic. Plus I always love some Alan Rickman.

Grade: A

Waitress

I watched this for the second time with my mom today. It was just as good as the first time, in theaters over the summer. It is very heartfelt, sweet, and awkwardly funny. Nathan Fillion is great. So is Keri Russell. I am creeped out by the Earl character - reminds me a little too much of what one of my exes may have become... anyway, I love the pies... wish I could eat them. I really like this movie.

Grade: A

Juno

My first movie of '08! Also, one of my favorites of all time! It was hilarious, while also having a great message throughout. The characters were very human, incredibly real, and amazingly well acted. Ellen Page is amazing in it. The character Juno has a quirky, funny way of talking, and the whole movie just sticks with you. It's very heartwarming also. I can't tell you enough that you must see this! I guess I should also mention what it's about: basically, a 16-year-old girl gets pregnant and decides to give the baby up for adoption. Plus the soundtrack was great!

Grade: A+

The Bourne Ultimatum

This was alright. Pretty much what I expected from the first two. Entertaining, but not much else.

Grade: C+

Eastern Promises

This movie was about a Russian mafia-type organization in London. Viggo Mortenson is some sort of undercover law-enforcement agent trying to bring down the organization. Naomi Watts is a doctor(? she calls herself a midwife) who is interested in the organization because an unidentified girl dies while giving birth and it turns out she was raped by the organizations head dude. It's a drama, with some action but not much (one really good fight scene). It's very moving and sad. And very good!

Grade: A

300

I just rewatched this movie last night with my parents. I had caught it in the theaters. The second time around I was still stunned by the visuals. The cinematography is excellent, and everything is so beautiful, even the violence. I really like this movie, despite its violence and historical inaccuracies. Those can be forgiven since the movie is all about its message, which is a bit of a political one: freedom isn't free.

Grade: B+

The Geminids

And I have gone on to events now! Basically by reading my reviews you should be able to piece together to some extent what I've been up to. Anyway, this was supposed to be the best meteor shower of 2007. The internets told me it would be best on the 14th at about 2 am, so that's when Jeff and I trucked ourselves out to Barksdale Field with a towel and heavy coats and some popcorn. It was in the mid-30s and windy, and basically got really cold pretty quickly. We stayed out for about 30 minutes and saw about 9 or 10 meteors, which is a really good rate for a meteor shower! It was far more successful than our 2 attempts at watching showers last year. The meteors were bright and some were big and slow. Also Mars has been out and it's still really bright and cool. I am glad to have taken astronomy and know lots of stars and constellations. And also why we have meteor showers!

Grade: B

In Defense of the Genre

Say Anything's newest album, after ...Is A Real Boy, is fairly good. There are still the same sarcastic lyrics and singing style, while the musical style varies a bit. Overall, it was not as good as ...Is a Real Boy. It was another 2 disc set. "An Insult to the Dead" is pretty good; so is "The Church Channel", "Spay Me", "About Falling", and "Spores".

Grade: C+

Our Love To Admire

I've always liked a few Interpol songs, but I have never loved a full album of theirs. This is no exception. There are a few great tracks: "Heinrich Maneuver" and "Rest My Chemistry" being the most notable ones. The others are hit or miss. This is a pretty good album but really not that great.

Grade: C+

All Rise

Inara George has a beautiful voice and beautiful songwriting abilities. She is quite reminiscent of Feist (though her style is unique and not exactly like anybody else). "Genius", "Fools In Love", and "Turn On/Off" are excellent tracks. I love female singer-songwriters right now, and this album is an excellent one!

Grade: A

Live It Out; Grow Up and Blow Away

Decided to do both of these Metric albums in the same post - mostly because I listened to them in a row and so can't fully distinguish between the two. Apparently, Grow Up and Blow Away was the first album that Metric recorded (in 2001) but due to label issues it was just released this year. I love the song "Raw Sugar", and "Soft Rock Star" is pretty great. Overall, it's good. Live It Out was released in 2005 and overall I liked it better than Grow Up and Blow Away. It is quite good, notable songs include "Empty", "Monster Hospital", and "The Police and The Private". All in all I really like Metric. They are good female-vocalist indie rock.

Grades:
-Live It Out: A-
-Grow Up and Blow Away: B

Direction

I haven't listened to The Starting Line in quite some time. I have Say It Like You Mean It and saw them in concert, but haven't heard much from Based on a True Story. Anyway, Direction is pretty good. It has some more rock-y elements which is interesting, though maybe not the best thing for this band. Anyway, I like "Hurry", "Island", and "Way With Words." Mostly, this is a poppy album and kind of fun.

Grade: B

Scream and Light Up the Sky

The second album by The Honorary Title is quite excellent! I really love the song "Untouched and Intact", which I believe is a single. It is at least as good as their first full-length, though I can't decide which I like better.

Grade: A

Also, I love the song "Accident Prone," but I don't think it's actually on the album - I just found it on Ruckus and don't know where it's from!

The Needles The Space

The second full-length album by Straylight Run is better than their first. It is reminiscent of their EP, Prepare To Be Wrong, but has evolved a bit since then. The single, "Soon We'll Be Living In the Future", is a good place to start. It will give you a feel for the full album, though I'm not saying it all sounds the same. I really like "Take It to Manhattan" and "Still Alone". This is quite good.

Grade: B+