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Two awesome videos

Gary :: Mar.14.2008 :: Funny, Entertainment, Movies, 1337, w00t! :: No Comments »

I wanted to watch this movie ever since I first saw the trailer a few months ago; mainly because it looked like a silly-fun movie which I thought I’d enjoy. I was wrong. I like it more than that - so much that I’ll buy the box set when it comes out.

Having not read any reviews before marching into the cinema, I was pleasantly surprised at how far it was from being a simple slapstick comedy. The jokes are funny, sardonic and packed with wit… of course with a healthy dose of slapstick. At one point the audience even broke out in full fledged applause at a CG chipmunk’s acting. Brilliant.

Go watch. You won’t regret it. The soundtrack’s a big bonus too.

Rottentomatoes gives it a swelling 94%, and I agree.

update: IMDB gives it an 8.1, with user reviews never going below 8.

Gary :: Dec.08.2007 :: Funny, A thousand words, Movies, General :: No Comments »

Ratatouille headed for an Oscar

That’s a personal belief - but if I’m wrong, it will be at the very least a, if not the strong contender for everything animation-related. Wouldn’t be surprised if it also manages to get its gravy-stained fingers on a slice of the Best Picture pie.

In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. Last night, I experienced something new, an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core. In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau’s famous motto: Anyone can cook. But I realize that only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere. It is difficult to imagine more humble origins than those of the genius now cooking at Gusteau’s, who is, in this critic’s opinion, nothing less than the finest chef in France. I will be returning to Gusteau’s soon, hungry for more.

-Anton Ego

Go catch it if you haven’t already. It’s so unbelievably endearing!

Rotten Tomatoes
Metacritic

Gary :: Sep.04.2007 :: Movies, General :: No Comments »

Hairspray is awesome

I’m not talking about the aerosol here - The 2007 film adaptation of a musical adaptation of a 1988 movie is a wonderfully feel-good show through and through. The cast delivers (Travolta is hilarious as Edna), the choreography is dazzling and the soundtrack is just unbelievably ear-wormy-catchy.

The audience I was watching this with was obviously as entertained as I was - boisterous laughter and even applause broke out at sporadically throughout the show. Me, I was grinning all the way through the funny bits like some glassy-eyed idiot.

It’s good. Words don’t do this justice. Catch it if you can!

Update:
Rottentomatoes calls it an “energetic, wholly entertaining musical romp” and gives it an aggregate score of 93%.

Metacritic gives it an 81 (Universal Acclaim) with the New York Post and the San Francisco Chronicle - among others - giving it a perfect 100%.

Gary :: Aug.26.2007 :: Entertainment, Movies, w00t! :: No Comments »