by Ethan Johnson
November 4, 2001
It's time for another scintillating installment of the most read movie page on the internet*:
Serendipity: Kate Beckinsale apparently finally got the go-ahead to be herself and speak her native tongue, instead of pretending to be American. Which is fine, because John Cusack pretty much is himself, so if you loved High Fidelity and so forth then you're right at home with this.
There's not much more I can say that the Previews That Would Not End haven't already ruined, however John Corbett was semi-funny as Lars, the up-and-coming New Age horn player. Otherwise it was a date flick, through and through.
Bottom line: We'll surely own it.
K-PAX: I have to take issue with FameTracker's smirking dismissal of this flick, and more so with Kevin Spacey's performance. They feel that Spacey just phoned in his part (and slept behind those sunglasses of his) and that audiences are eating up his performance just because he eats a banana, peel and all.
No, actually we're eating up the fact that we like the cut of Kevin Spacey's jib, as it were. I put him somewhat in the league of Jason Lee (Dogma, Almost Famous) in that his approach to each role really doesn't seem to change all that wildly, but we like his presence, his smartass delivery, and in this case his interaction with Jeff Bridges. Mar is coming off of big-time JB love after The Contender (which just arrived on DVD in the mail, thank you very much), and Jeff Bridges pretty much turns in more of the same without ordering a shark sandwich.
The movie was interesting, the ending was clever, and we walked out of the theatre in deep thought. All in all, it was good, and we're SO owning it when it hits the shelf.
The Watcher: OK, I'm cheating and sneaking in a movie I saw on cable recently, however I noticed that Blockbuster had it in the "New Releases" section so I'm thinking it's fair game. Also, Mr. Cranky's review got all hosed up, so here goes:
WHY in the [HECK] is Keanu Reeves in this MOVIE? The casting is so incredibly bad, the story stinks, the acting is 2nd rate at its peak, and really, you've got James Spader? Marisa Tomei? Couldn't Joey Tribbiani have done just as well in Keanu's place? I don't understand why Keanu felt the compulsion to star in this stinker. Especially since it apparently was filmed relatively close to the time he did The Matrix, which honestly paid his retirement 1365 times already.
How bad was it? Well, when James Spader gets shanghai'd by Keanu, he flips on his cell phone and secretly speed dials the police. Upon realizing what the call was and who it was from, one of the detectives orders, "trace it!" It's a cell phone, ya morons! Trace it? What, you don't have caller ID?
My personal favorite, and when the movie made a distinct THUD as it hit bottom: Marisa Tomei's wrists are bound with duct tape. Keanu has rigged an elaborate string trap to make a shotgun shoot her IF someone opens the door. She's sitting in a chair, and SHE IS NOT BOUND TO IT. And her LEGS ARE FREE. There is absolutely no reason why she was compelled to stay there and be the proverbial damsel in distress. It's gotten this bad for James Spader: rescuing an idiot.
No we're not owning it. We have coasters already.
Monsters Inc: We are so owning this movie the instant it's available to have and to hold. No, I didn't forget to turn off the bold font tag, it was either do this or use 72 pt font. YOU MUST GO NOW AND SEE THIS MOVIE. EVEN BY YOURSELF. It's THAT good. Mar and I sat in AWE through the whole thing. The technology gets better and better, and if that wasn't good enough, the story is cool too. Better than both Toy Story movies put together. Go. NOW.
Side note: We saw it with DLP™ technology, because we could. Wow. I mean, wow. You're not listening. WOW.
I was commenting to Rita that you'd think that the movie studios would figure out a way to sell you the DVD in the lobby on the way out of the theatre for twice the price or something. They'd sell out every time. I'm still feeling the "high" 7 hours later, and wish I could pop the disc in right now for another look.
Bottom line: You still here? <EM>
* Assuming that a meteor the size of Texas has stuck the Earth and I'm the sole survivor.
