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There’s a lot of good movies coming out this summer, I’m actually pretty excited about it. Normally summer is not my favorite season to visit the local megaplex, but this year is pretty exciting for 1 reason… 1 word says it all… Indy. Ah yea, Indiana Jones rides again and I’m stoked. There are a few others that look good too, so I thought I’d share my top 5 list for this summers movies.

1. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

2. The Dark Knight

3. Get Smart

4. Hancock

5. The Happening

Runner Ups: Mamma Mia, Tropic Thunder, Step Brothers, Iron Man, Prince Caspian

So what summer movies are you looking forward to?

I’ve been wanting to see Into the Wild for a while now, and last week I finally got to and it was worth the wait. I’d have to say its one of the best movies of 2007 without a doubt.

It’s a beautiful story about a journey for truth and beauty in a world that lacks both. After graduating from college, Christopher abandons his upper class family, his possessions and identity in hopes of hitchhiking his way to Alaska. Along his journey he encounters a barrage of characters that he affects in different ways but he’s never detoured from his ultimate destination. He’s pursuing freedom and answers while discovering the world around him.

Into the Wild is a personal very film. It’s one to meditate on and allow it to soak in. Sean Penn did an amazing job of bringing the book to the big screen. He used some seriously crafty storytelling techniques that you don’t find in many films. It’s very obvious this is a labor of love for Penn, you can see it in every frame. To me, there’s a difference between a movie and a film. One is typically for popcorn and money making (not that there’s anything wrong with that), but the other is for art, story and message. This is definitely the latter.

I love characters, and this film in full of great ones that reveal a side of America rarely seen. Before this I didn’t really care for Emile Hirsch (Alpha Dog, The Girl Next Door), he’d never really jumped out at me, but wow what a great job he did in this. This type of film is riding on that leading man and he doesn’t disappoint one bit.

I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Have you seen it? What’d you think?

Late Sunday night I went to see 21, which by the way is a great time to see a movie, after the busy weekend its a great way to wrap it all up. If you’re unfamiliar with the movie, its a true story about a group of M.I.T. math wizards who, with the help of their professor (Kevin Spacey), devise a scheme counting cards in Vegas and win big at Blackjack. It’s a great story, I say that right off the bat because it made we wish I was 1 - smart and 2 - a card player. In other words it’s sheer escapism at its best. It was very entertaining, although it was predictable (minus the muddled “twist” ending), and about 20 minutes too long.

I’m really liking Jim Sturgess (he was great in Across the Universe), he has a classic charm about him, like a movie star from the 40s or 50s. Both Spacey and Fishburne are dull in their performances, nether of them bring anything new to the table, same ol stuff we’ve seen from them before. Overall, I liked it for pure entertainment reasons, the filmmaker in me had some structural problems with it, but it was all in all fun.  I would recommend renting it and saving yourself some bank. 

 
Most of you guys know I love movies, and I think the venue in which you see the movie is very important. I came across this theater featured on /Film, its the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin. Maybe some of you guys that went to SXSW screened a few films there (I’m hoping that I’ll be able to go next year). This is a flippin’ sweet theater, check it out.

Friday was a big day in our home. We took Bella to see her first movie, Horton Hears a Who.  It was a blast, considering her age (17 months), she did extremely well.  When she first saw that screen light up her heart fluttered as mine always does and her eyes popped out of her head. It was awesome. Most of you know I’m a huge movie buff, so its exciting that she’s getting to that age.  Now for my thoughts…

I think Jim Carrey has a “post-career” career doing Dr. Seuss movies. Mike Myers not so much.  Loved Grinch, hated Cat in the Hat.  Horton follows in the path of Grinch, I loved it, but the similarities stop there. Horton was subtle, sweet, and gentle as well as hilarious. Carrey and Carell both did very well, it wasn’t overdone, it felt very authentic to Dr. Seuss’ original vision. I really don’t even have to say it, but the CG was breathtaking, absolutely amazing.

I’ve heard a little uproar about this being a “statement” movie. And the statement being Pro-Life. Which I can see, because the most beautiful line in the movie is, “Even though you can’t see them at all, a person’s a person, no matter how small.” I read that (facts could be a little off) Dr. Seuss wrote this is 1953, and several pro-life groups took quotes from the book and made them their mottos. He didn’t care for that, so much so that he tried to sue them.  So if I had to guess, I’d say that wasn’t his meaning. However, I can’t overlook the timing of this picture. It speaks to so many themes, especially that of pro-life. When it comes to this election, this issue is close fisted to me. I can’t let go of it. Sorry to have turned this into a political thing, now back to regular programing… In the end this is about caring for those “smaller” than you, or less fortunate than you, which I think all of us need a lesson in.  

I got sweded, you? Sweding is re-making something from scratch using whatever you can get your hands on.  It’s the process by which Mike and Jerry recreate all the erased videos in the movie Be Kind Rewind. Go to movie’s site and check it out, its fun… here’s mine.