Flicks w/ Poor Executions

So how many times have you watched a movie and thought, "wow, this could be so amazing if they only did X or Y"?  Here is a list of movies I thought had so much incredible potential but they just did not deliver:

• War of the Dead (2011):  At one point in time, this was the most expensive movie ever made in Lithuania, and folks, it is, a zombie flick!  Set in World War II and wrought with whimsical historical inaccuracies, this movie has so much potential to be a decent zombie flick but something just did not add up.  I do not think it is the bad acting, poor SFX or set design; many a decent zombie movie have prevailed despite these shortfalls.  There is something just really off with this movie.  I am going to chalk it up to poor dialogue and the lack of a coherent storyline -- maybe even lack of proper character development.  If you like zombie movies and you have seen all the ones I recommended but want more, I would not completely discount this one.  Although, that being said, this is one of those movies you rip apart while you are watching it but find yourself slip in and out of it's world every now and then.
• Ferocious Planet (2011):  If you are a fan of monster flicks, you might not actually hate this movie.  So much about it is dead on; the monsters are great, the dimensional shift idea is amazing, even the monsters look awesome.  Lots of great ideas peppered with lots of fun monster-chase scenes (e.g. stealing the monster's egg scene, yikes!).  Not sure why but something held this movie back, way back.  It could be the poor acting or stereotypical exchange of dialogue between stereotypical characters.  Whatever it was, this movie definitely had the potential to be an incredible monster flick.
• Perfect Sense (2011):  Not sure why all the movies I have listed so far are from the same year?  Anyway, again, this movie has a pretty neat idea/ storyline:  Humans become infected with this disease that attacks our senses rendering us to lose one sense at a time.  I enjoyed the filmmaker's take on how human beings might adapt and find ways to cope with these losses.  For instance, when people in the movie begin to lose their senses of smell and taste, the chefs start preparing meals that appeal more to the tactile abilities.  Still, something was just stupid about how this movie was made.  It felt like they were trying really hard to force the romantic storyline to the forefront of this very powerful apocalyptic drama, to the point where the entire strength of the movie was compromised.  It was like letting the air out of a balloon; they built something strong and then just allowed it to fizzle out.
• Primer (2004):  This movie is a massive pain in the ass.  It is so slow paced and painful to watch but what a great storyline underneath.  Spoiler Alert!  This movie is about some friends who get together and accidentally build a time machine.  The nice thing about this movie is that they really, really, REALLY construct a realistic scenario for time-travel. Actually, that is the greatest strength of this movie.  Any movie about time-travel you come across will always bypass that aspect of realism and take you straight to the realm of sci-fi/ fantasy.  This movie does not wuss out like that.  Still, there is something to be said about a movie being "too real" that it bores you to death.  The first 45mins or so of this movie is so boring and slow.  The payoff only comes to those who wait till the end but to be sure, the road to the end is a struggle.
• The Prometheus Project (2010):   I guess this is kind of a zombie flick?  Scientists develop a serum that reanimates the dead and infuses them with superhuman powers.. but then they go crazy and start killing folks.  Definitely a B-rated movie in terms of production values, and the acting was not that great either.  Although, I like that they tried to provide a back story on how the zombie was created.  Even though it is a pretty cheesey movie, the chase scenes are pretty good so you still get the desired effect.
• The Perfect Host (2010):  It is very frustrating to see a movie with so much potential bomb so hard.  David Hyde Pierce is the lead actor, he plays a deranged serial killer who throws these elaborate parties for imaginary guests.  Oh, there is a bit of a reveal near the end which is a nice cherry on the top but still, something is holding this movie back.  I think it is either the choice of actors, the dialogue, or the acting.  I am not sure David Hyde Pierce was right for the part, I found that he really over-acted many of the scenes, it felt awkward and silly.

I know there is a lot more to add to this post but I am completely drawing a blank right now.  Maybe I am tired of feeling so disappointed?  ha ha  Also, how is it possible I have not done a Sci-Fi post yet?  ETA soon.

Oh Ya, Halloween!

I have been wanting to make something cool for my niece and nephew for halloween but I was not sure what, until last night.  I saw a few really neat patterns for treat bags on Ravelry but most of them were not free so I drafted up my own patterns (I will post them on Ravelry if you are interested)!  Now I just have to fill them up with candy and send them off to the kiddies! :)

• Treat Bag #1:

• Treat Bag #2:

• Both Bags:

Ho Ho Ho: Pt.2

Further to the 'Work-Christmas-Crafts-Palooza' post earlier, I made a few more items..

• A co-worker new to crochet will be making dishcloths for some of her Christmas presents this year.  In an effort to try to encourage her to make fun star-shaped ones (she loves stars), I made her this:

• Another co-worker who is also relatively new to crochet was asked to make snowflakes for her mother-in-law to hang on the Christmas tree this year.  Same deal as above, I made her these:

• Unfortunately, there was one snowflake that I had to frog because it was looking a bit ridiculous.  It is the pattern for a 3D flowering snowflake.  It really should have been made using thread instead of yarn.  I am sure you can probably see why:

RIP Snowflake!

• Late add, but a third co-worker mentioned to me today that her mother loves owls so I suggested the Owl Eye Mask pattern available for free on Ravelry.com and made her one:

Lazy-Eyed Owl-ie!

The In-Between Post

So yet another co-worker is leaving me and I am pretty sad about it because she is incredible and it will not be the same without her!  I started making a shawl/ afghan for her.  It is narrower than I anticipated with the initial cast-ons so I am calling it a shawl!  haha  Here are some pictures:

I am hoping to add some fuzzy white yarn as edging later

 In other news, we made some delicious jelly yesterday:

Chokeberry and Apple/ Crabapple Jelly

Finally, I am babysitting a lovely little hamster and she is the sweetest little lady ever!

Her little spaceship cage

Who's that in the spaceship?

It's the little hamster queen!

Christmas in September! Ho Ho Ho!

There has been some talk at work about the crafty folks creating some Christmas-related items and selling them for profit/ donations.  Here is my haphazard attempt:

Tiny Christmas Stocking [Ornament/ Gift Applique]

Tiny Christmas Wreath [Ornament/ Gift Applique]

Tiny Christmas Sweater [Ornament/ Gift Applique]

Tiny Poinsettia Flower [Ornament/ Gift Applique]

Tiny Winter Hat and Scarf Set

 Also, I nerded out a bit today and laid out all of my crochet hooks (yikes!):

My Crochet Hook Set

Celtic Wedding Afghan

So two dear friends recently got married and for their wedding I made a celtic afghan!  I followed the "Lover's Knot" pattern on Raverly with a few deviations:  For the edging, I made 2 rows of double crochet then finished it off with double knotted fringes.  I found that it looked more wedding-y than the four large tassels that the pattern called for.  Here it is:

 
I will be starting another one veryyyy shortly for a December wedding.  I am thinking of playing with geometrical designs for that one but I am not sure yet!  Definitely love afghans! :)

The Ugly Pencil Case

I started making a pencil case for my little niece using this really pretty cable design I found on Ravelry but it turned out looking not-so-pretty so I am using it as my knit/ crochet tool case.  It's holding my crochet hooks, circulars and double-pointed needles, etc.

Disturbing Flicks (Pt.2)

Part deux of some movies I would not recommend to individuals with a heart condition!  Alors, here we go:

• Deliverance (1972): Starring a young Jon Voight and Burt Reynolds, this movie is about four friends who go on rafting trip in the deep South.  They enounter a lot of eerie 'hill billy' characters and soon find themselves struggling to survive this nightmare of a trip.  I found this pretty scary because it felt realistic.  The scenarios were not completely overblown or improbable.  The actors, the setting, the dialogue, the tension, it all felt so authentic.  Great movie.
• Cutting Moments (1997):  This is a very low budget/ indie movie that might seem off-putting and dry at first but if you hang in there, you better be prepared for some very disturbing and gut wrenching imagery.  It is a pretty short film and you can probably find it online.  Please do not watch it if you cannot handle graphic violence/ imagery.
• The Road (2009):  One of those post-apocalyptic end-of-days movies; basically a zombie flick without the zombies; the world is falling apart and lawlessness is rampant.  Everyone is struggling to survive in a Hobbesian world where it is war of all against all.  Viggo Mortensen plays a father who is trying to keep himself and his son alive in this foresaken new world.  I cannot remember exactly what caused the breakdown of society, I think it was something about lack of vegetation which impacted the food cycle significantly by causing deaths of animals and then humans by starvation, etc.  Fans of The Wire (one of the greatest tv shows ever) will recognize Michael K. Williams in this.  Not a bad movie but not amazing either.  Worth a mention here though.
• Deadgirl (2008):  I hesitate a bit with adding this movie to the list because it is not a great movie by any means.  It has many flaws but I liked that the plot was demented and they ran with it.  I listed this movie in the Zombie Flicks post earlier if you want more of a synopsis.
• Shadow Of A Doubt (1943):  What the heck kind of list is this without a Hitchcock movie?   Like Rope (1948) and Rear Window (1954), and pretty much any Alfred Hitchcock movie, there is a lot of tension that builds up in the course of this film.  It starts out innocently enough but then things get dark very quickly and suddenly the lead character is faced with imminent danger.  Great movie.
• The Birds (1963):  I will refrain from listing all of Alfred Hitchcock's movies here but this one really needed to be on this list.  If you have ornithophobia and experience an irrational fear of birds, this movie will rationalize your fear!  It is basically a movie about birds attacking humans.  Reminds me of an episode of a nature show where a massive hornet attacks a bee hive but then all these little bees start to mobilize and engulf the hornet en masse and take it down.  What a great display of the power of defense mechanisms in nature.
• Shallow Grave (1994):  I already reviewed this in the Bank Robbery Flicks post but it has definitely earned a spot on this list too.
• Badlands (1973):  Like Deliverance (1972), this movie is disturbing because it seems realistic (probably because it is based on a true story).  Two young teenagers fall in love and in their rebellion against the world, they push the envelope just a little too far a la Bonnie and Clyde.  Really great movie.  Sissy Spacek and Martin Sheen were amazing in this.  It is not necessarily scary but the socio-political commentary can be a bit uneasy to swallow.

Disturbing Flicks (Pt.1)

I have come across some really weird and demented movies over the years.  Obviously, most will not be suitable for children or those who have better sense than to watch them!  I feel a great urge to insert a disclaimer stating that the views depicted in the following movies are not in any way endorsed by me (well, at least some of them):

• Batoru Rowaiaru/ Battle Royale (2000):  WAY before the Hunger Games, we had this wonderfully demented Japanese movie by Kinji Fukasaku.  It has been some time since I saw it so I cannot unfortunately offer too many details but the basic theme is population culling by cold blooded murder!  Several students are chosen from different schools and basically thrown onto an island with bombs strapped to the collars around their necks.  The bombs are set to go off if the kids are in an area on the island they are not supposed to be in at specific times of day.  Also, they cannot leave the island until they kill everyone else off.  In short, it is kill or be killed and the last one alive is the winner!  Some of the kids are partners or best friends so you see them grapple with survival vs. morality.  Very entertaining movie, lots of fun!
• Irreversible (2002):  Starring real life couple, Monica Bellucci and Vincent Cassel, this movie centers around a really brutal incident of sexual assault.  It is a pretty powerful movie because just as there is no remote control for life, this movie does not censor the realities of assault by shortening the incident on screen.  When the movie portrays the attack it makes you sit there and watch the whole thing without pause for almost ten minutes straight.  It is very unsettling.
• Oasis (2002):  There are few directors out there who will never let you down and Chang dong Lee is one of them.  Most of his movies can easily be on this list because they are all rather unusual and disturbing; they tend to feature characters that grapple with extreme psychological trauma and grief.  Oasis (2002) is I guess a love story, in the most unconventional sense.  The two lead characters have developmental disabilities.  In fact, when Jong du (the guy) first encounters Gong ju (the woman), he attempts to rape her!  Bare in mind, she is non-ambulatory (confined to a wheelchair) and is diagnosed with cerebral palsy.  Right off the bat, the movie starts with a really shocking and uncomfortable scene.  As the movie progresses, you learn about the kinds of lives both characters lead, how they have been abandoned by their families and society in general, and how in being together, they are able to fill the void in their lives.  Very good movie and I would recommend it to those who are looking for something very different in a movie.  This is a movie with a lot of substance and heavy subject matter.
• Men Behind The Sun (1988):  During World War II, the Germans were not the only ones performing deplorable Mengele-esque experiments on other human beings.  Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army would take prisoners of war and perform unimaginably cruel experiments on them, all the while referring to their victims as "materials" to dehumanize them just as the Nazi's referred to the Jews as "cargo" or "merchandise".  I really do not know how they filmed many of the scenes of torture in this movie because it seems so realistic.  I do know that the movie features an actual autopsy of a young boy.  There is also a scene involving the torture of a cat that seems very real but I read somewhere that the director confirmed it was fake.  This movie might be disturbing but what is more disturbing is knowing that this kind of thing actually happens in real life within the world in which we all live.
• Cannibal Holocaust (1980):  I still cannot bring myself to watch this movie again because it is pretty scary namely due to the "found footage" style it is filmed in, it feels so authentic.  Four documentarians travel to South America to film a tribe of cannibals but they end up raping and pillaging the tribes people.  The cannibals eventually get their revenge and it is not pretty.  The acting, the pace of the movie, the SFX.. all feels very real which gives this movie an eerie feel.  There is a scene in this movie where a woman is impaled and it looks so incredibly real that a lot of viewers were concerned.  The directors had to present the actress who played her to prove that she is indeed still alive.  Also, a warning, this movie does feature a scene of a live turtle being killed on camera which has outraged a number of animal activists.
• The Human Centipede Series:   So when I saw The Human Centipede:  First Sequence (2009), I was thrilled.  It has everything a good old fashioned horror movie should have:  bad acting, eccentric and evil bad guys, no-exit scenarios for the victims, a great chase scene, and finally, a bleak and distressing ending.  Honestly, the first movie had it all!  Then I thought I would give The Human Centipede II:  Full Sequence (2011) a chance but with low expectations because how can you master what has already been mastered?  I was in for a surprise.  The second film is pretty scary because it tries to remove the fiction out of the scenario.  The main character is a mentally disturbed individual who is obsessed with the first movie (already, this movie places the main character in our world by characterizing/ recognizing that the first film was in fact a work of fiction, a "movie"), he tries to create a "real" human centipede.  Trouble is, he is no conveniently disposed scientific mind with the tools or skills set required to operate on human beings.  Rather, his tools include a stapler, duct tape, pliers and a funnel.  This makes for an extremely gory movie!  Apparently, there is a third movie coming out next year to be added to this series.  Not sure it could live up to the last one but I have been proven wrong before..
• The Vengeance Trilogy:  This trilogy refers to three movies by a very talented Korean director, Chan-wook Park.  The most popular of the trilogy is probably a movie called Oldboy (2003).  Without giving too much away, it is about a man who is kidnapped one night and locked in a hotel room/ prison for over a decade.  He does not know why he is being imprisoned, nor does he know who is responsible.  There is a pretty epic fight scene in this movie that I love because it goes on forever and was filmed in one long shot (you will know which one I am referring to when you see it).  A quick warning, there is a scene of animal cruelty in this movie where the lead character consumes a live octopus.  Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) is the first of the trilogy and is probably one of the more violent ones.  The movie is about good intentions gone horribly, horribly wrong.  The good guys are inadvertently the bad guys and everyone is caught in a very bloody web of revenge.  Each of the characters has a very touching story so you feel a lot of "sympathy" for their vengeance, hence the title.  The last of the trilogy is Lady Vengeance (2005), which feels really different from the other two because of the femme fetale feel to it.  The lead is a woman who was falsely imprisoned for murdering a child.  She knows who the real killer is and the whole time she is in prison, she is plotting her revenge.  The final scene is so fulfilling and will leave the viewer's moral compass a bit haywire.  Really great movie.

My Favourites (Pt.2)

Here are some other movies I would highly recommend: 

• Die Hard (1988):  New York cop, John McClane, goes to California to meet his estranged wife, Holly, at her work Christmas party.  The party gets hijacked by German terrorists (the main bad dude played by Alan Rickman) and it is up to John McClane to save the day by knocking them down one by one and yelling, "Yipee ki yay mofo!" a few times.  Best Bruce Willis movie(s) ever!

• Dear Frankie (2004):  Okay, this might be a "chick flick" but j'adore!  It is a really sweet movie about a single parent who writes letters to her son posing as his father.  Very cute movie start to finish.
• The Mist (2007):  Ah The Mist, one of the most fail-safe movies out there.  Kind of like The Man From Earth, it is one of those movies that very few people can possibly dislike.  If you have not seen it, chances are you will enjoy watching it!  It is based on Stephen King's novel of the same title.  People go about doing their business as usual but then all of a sudden this enormous mist creeps up over the land and strange creatures/ monsters start to emerge from it and start killing people in horrific ways.  GREAT monster flick.
• Cube (1997):  I really like this movie because there is nothing quite like it out there.  Several people are kidnapped and placed into a massive Rubik's cube/ maze.  They seem to have been individually selected based on their skills:  there are 2 child prodigies, 1 doctor, 1 police man, 1 escape artist, and 1 architect.  Just a really intriguing movie that I highly recommend.
• Rope (1948):  Probably one of my favourite Alfred Hitchcock movies.  Simply put, this movie is about two boys who commit murder and throw a dinner party to covertly celebrate, with the body hidden in plain sight.  "[We have committed] an immaculate murder...We are alive, truly and wonderfully alive!"  Among the guests, they invite their favourite professor, played by James Stewart, who senses that something is amiss.  There is a lot of tension and as the night wears on, the boys start to lose their confidence.  This movie plays with a lot of the themes from Friedrich Nietzsche's Genealogy of Morals:  Superior humans vs. inferior humans, superior humans being above 'morality' in the conventional sense of the word, etc.  It is the tension throughout this movie that makes it one of my all time favourites.
• Conversations With Other Women (2005):  Okay, another "chick flick" alert but I personally really, really, appreciate the place this movie is coming from.  I think I read somewhere that men generally find it more difficult to watch because of the split-screen format.  The entire movie is split-screened so we see what is currently happening on one side of the screen and what had previously taken place on the other (this is possibly a spoiler, sorry!).  It is driven by a dialogue taking place between the two main characters (Helena Bonham Carter and Aaron Eckhart) at a wedding.  It is a very flirty movie because it does not give everything away, you have to sort of figure it out along the way.  It touches on the complexities of human relationships; companionship, monogamy, first love, forgiveness, guilt, growth, change, nostalgia, etc.  Really love this film!

Bank Robber Flicks

Okay so this post started off as "My Favourites (Pt 2)" but realizing how I had already mentioned so many movies about bank robberies, I figured I should just re-title it and focus on that genre.  Bare in mind, many of the movies listed here feature some of my all-time favourites, as well.  Here we go:

• Dog Day Afternoon (1975):  Based on a true story, this is an incredible movie about a bank robbery starring Al Pacino.  Such great characters in this film.  This is not a movie where the robbers are bad guys or sleek/ cool or money hungry.  They are just average guys trying to maneuver around this situation they have found themselves in.  In fact, one of the three robbers at the beginning of the movie, bails out on the other two because he is too afraid to go through with it!  I love this movie SO much!!  There is a lot of social commentary: about the frenzied effects of the media, Stockholm syndrome, the Attica prison riots, queer equality, etc.  I especially love the ending because it was done so perfectly.  It portrays really nicely how we as people, when we are trapped with one another, we construct this fleeting world of meaning that is so powerful and feels so authentic; but once we are free to move away from each other, the fantasy ends and we slip back into the larger more generic world of meaning.
• Heat (1995):  It is as though someone ordered a sandwich with Al Pacino and Robert Di Niro, and a little bit of Tom Sizemore and Val Kilmer on the side.  Fan-tastic movie!  Admittedly, it is "pretty Hollywood" but it has definitely earned the status of being a "classic".  I love this movie almost as much as I love Dog Day Afternoon.  It is not a movie you will easily forget.  It has a definite sleek and sexy feel to it and each of the characters are played so well.  It is a movie where everything came together just right!  Definitely of the "cool" variety.
• Der Rauber/ The Robber (2010):  This is a German film that has a pretty interesting take on the bank robber film genre.  It is another movie based on a true story but again, very unconventional.  The lead character does not rob banks because he is destitute or in a crime syndicate or whatever.  He does not even really care about the money.  He literally does it because it makes him feel alive, it makes him feel something substantial in his life.  He is a marathon runner and probably feeds off the endorphins/ the thrill that comes with robbing a bank.
• The Ladykillers (1955):  Not sure what idiot thought this movie needed to be redone because it is perfectly hilarious the way it is!  This movie is a ball of laughs!  Posing as talented classical musicians, five robbers rent a room at a little old lady's house.  They play all sorts of classical records to make her think they are playing their instruments, but in actuality, they are scheming, smoking, and hashing out a plan to rob the bank down the street.  Unfortunately for them, she is a just a bit intrusive and has a tendency of "getting in the way"!  A really fun movie that features an Amazon parrot for those parrot lovers out there!
• Shallow Grave (1994):  Okay so this is not really a movie about a bank robbery AT ALL but it involves a big wad of cash being discovered by three roommates leading them to act in really strange ways.  I thought it would not be too out of place here.  This is one of those really demented movies that make you feel weird about watching it while you are watching it.  Lots of dismembered bodies, paranoia, jealousy, greed and I would venture to say madness in general!  Good movie.
• Waking Ned Devine (1998):  Okay so this is REALLY stretching it.  Again, not about bank robberies AT ALL but it could fit into this category because it is about stealing money from the lotto commission.  An elderly man from a small town in Ireland wins a really big lottery but sadly, he passes away from all the excitement.  When the townsfolk catch wind of this, they devise a clever plan of having someone pose as him, cashing in the winnings and splitting it amongst themselves.  Fun little feel-good movie!  Pretty much talks about how money can have the exact opposite affect on you that Shallow Grave portrays!!

My Favourites (Pt. 1)

This post will contain some of my favourite movies that I highly recommend!  Mind you, this list is subject to change over time.  Without further ado, here we go:

• The Princess Bride (1987):  Great movie!  Not your conventional fairytale love story; there is a lot of humour and silliness in this little cornball of a movie.  You will also leave with a lot of fun one-liners and a whole new meaning to the word "inconceivable"!  Truly great movie because it stands the test of time:  I loved it as a kid and I love it as an adult.  I would like to think it crosses gender lines but it could very well be the case that women might enjoy it more.
• The Man from Earth (2007):  This movie is about a man from Earth (!).  In fact, he has been on Earth for a veeerrryyy long time!  This is an excellent example of a movie with a weak premise can be executed so well owing entirely to a really well-written script.  The movie is purely driven by dialogue; the entire movie is filmed in one location, there is no SFX, no nifty camera work; just a few friends sitting in a room having a chat and being completely enthralled in conversation.  That being said, I hope I did not hype it up too much.  It is a very laid back movie that will not entertain you if you are looking for action, romance or comedy.  It is just a movie looking to intrigue you through dialogue, kind of like a good old fashion symposium!
• Singles (1992):  Old school, grungey, clever and funny movie!  Lots of big names (Bridget Fonda, Kyra Sedgwick, Matt Dillon, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Tim Burton, Bill Pullman, to name a FEW).  Matt Dillon was so great in this..  I guess it falls into the romantic comedy genre but it really is so much more than that.  It captures the feeling of the 90's so well, it is a bit of a trip back in history.
• Dirty Work (1998):  Norm MacDonald is easily one of my favourite comedians of all time.  I am a little embarrassed to admit how much I like this movie.  It is PRETTY DUMB.  Artie Lang, Chris Farley, Don Rickles, Adam Sandler, and Chevy Chase are some of the big names in this movie.  So many memorable scenes to look back on fondly!  Ah..  This is NOT an incredible movie by any means, in fact it is quite stupid and half-assed.  The nice thing is that it is one of those movies I can pick up years later and still laugh at, while watching it.
• Kung Fu Hustle (2004):   Made by Stephen Chow and starring him as well!  I LOVE this movie, so child like and fun, so charming in every way.  The bad guys are the Axe Gang, they dress real nice with their tuxes and top hats.  They also have a cool dance that they do when they are around!  The good guys are not what you would expect.  In plain terms, they are the biggest dorks in the universe.  This is a really funny movie with great visuals.  You will have a blast watching it so long as you are not stubbornly opposed to subtitles.
• Predator (1987):  One of the greatest movies ever, no doubt.  A Special Ops unit lead by Arnold Schwarzenegger go into a jungle on some sort of a rescue mission then they come across an invisible alien that is trying to kill them!!  Too good, too good..  I really love this movie.  A classic that should not be missed!

Rocky Reviews

Sorry for my poor blogging etiquette.  I promised an update which I did not deliver in a timely fashion.  I am referring, of course, to my reviews of the Rocky film series.  I did end up re-watching them, ALL of them.  Good entertainment.  Let's dive right in..

• Rocky (1976):  The movie that started it all!  I think Stallone actually wrote this movie because he is just so kickass and awesome (Chuck Norris who?) and the producers/ directors or whomever wanted someone else to star in it but Stallone held his ground and really pushed to play the lead.  Good thing he did because I am not sure anyone else could have delivered on par.  So we all know the story most likely: a champion boxer named Apollo Creed picks a random, unknown fighter to fight against that has a cool gimmicky name (i.e. Rocky a.k.a. "The Italian Stallion").  Little does Apollo realize, Rocky has the proverbial eye of the tiger and he is ready to rise up to the challenge of his rival!  Rocky also has his eye on Adrian (a.k.a. "YO ADRIAN"), an awkward and shy young woman who works at a pet store.  The chemistry between them is charming because you do not see anything quite like it in conventional movies.  They are really weird and tense together but somehow the love flows through.  Anyway, a good mix of action and romance.  Really motivating movie.  Go watch it! 
• Rocky II (1979):  So Apollo and Rocky go dancing again for what is dubbed as "The Rematch Of The Century".  The action is good but I found there was too much false drama (i.e. the level/ type of injury Rocky sustains and yet manages to continue fighting several movies later, Adrian's convenient slip into and out of a coma, etc.).  I did like that they kept certain parts authentic like when Rocky finds all of this financial success and he succumbs to it; he gets distracted by it and needs to get pulled back into fight mode.  I enjoyed the scenes where he makes all these lavish purchases like buying a car when he does not know how to drive.  Not that great of a movie but not terrible either..  Would not recommend.
• Rocky III (1982):  While watching this movie I remember thinking, "this is going to be my least favourite of the series".  The dialogue was too contrived and silly.  It does have some really famous scenes like Mr. T./ Clubber Lang insulting Adrian during a public ceremony where a statue of Rocky is being unveiled, or the scene at the end where Apollo and Rocky fight again.  I think Family Guy and some other shows have spoofed those scenes.  Also, good ole Mickey bites the dust in a really ridiculous turn of events.  I think the main problem was Clubber Lang's character.  It was too one-dimensional and out of place.  They tried to acclimitize the viewer by explaining how Clubber Lang is from the streets which is why he is so rough but I do not know.. It did not do the trick, methinks.  I would definitely not recommend.  It was simply too ridiculous!
• Rocky IV (1985):  Okay, this was pretty ridiculous too but given the backdrop of the Cold War and the rampant anti-Soviet propaganda in the West, it at least made for an interesting contextual movie!  The main bad guy is Ivan Drago (his wife is played by Bridget Neilson whom I think, Stallone may have met for the first time during the filming of this movie then later married) and it is intimated that Drago is on all sorts of performance enhancing substances.  Also, the Soviets have supposedly developed technology so advanced that Drago is able to render a grown man, such as Apollo Creed, DEAD by ONE PUNCH to the FACE (I might be exaggerating but only minimally).  Wow.  So you do end up fearing for Rocky's safety and there is a lot of suspense built up, which is nice.  There are some other really famous scenes like Rocky's outdoor workout montages partnered against Drago's highly technical workout regimens, there is also the "Happy Birthday, Paulie" robot, etc.  I would only recommend this movie because it is too much of a classic to pass up if you have not already seen it!  Also, the speech Rocky makes at the end is really sweet!
• Rocky V (1990):  This movie did not do very well at all on imdb and while I can sort of understand why, there are elements of this movie that I really appreciated as a viewer.  They made Rocky age and they made him sustain injuries so extensive that he is unable to fight anymore.  They made Rocky lose his calling in life.  If Jimi Hendrix was alive and something happened to his hands so that he was not able to play his guitar anymore, how would he react/ live?  I liked how they captured the overwhelming sense of loss and confusion.  Then they bring in Tommy, a new straight-from-the-streets fighter that Rocky takes under his wing and trains.  Rocky rediscovers his raison d'etre by living vicariously through Tommy.  Rocky becomes the new Mickey but in the process, he neglects his son, Rocky Jr. and some family drama ensues.  I would recommend this movie but with a caveat that it has many flaws!
• Rocky Balboa (2006):  We have arrived at the movie that ended it all!  Folks, YO ADRIAN is no more.  The movie focuses a lot on Rocky's "rocky" relationship with his son, Rocky Jr.  They have grown apart since Adrian's passing and the indubitable "gaps" have resurfaced (ref:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcqos-b3jDo) that Rocky needs to find a way to fill again.  This movie has a nice feel to it.  It deals a lot with aging, feeling past your prime, and somehow being at peace with it all.  Do not worry, there is some action still, with Mason "The Line" Dixon, but that seems secondary to the overarching theme of rebuilding a broken home, and instilling confidence and strength in your loved ones.  It is a really nice ending to the series as a whole.  This movie is more about how Rocky excels as a father than about how he excels as a boxer.

Stallone To The Bone

Like I mentioned in an earlier post, I have been really into Sylvester Stallone movies lately.  Stallone symbolizes will power, endurance, confidence, stamina and the essence of justice prevailing, what is not to like?  (shut up.)  I will skip over the Rocky movies because I plan on re-watching them so I will update post to include them later.

Stallone 2012:  This man is a senior citizen let me remind you!

Recommended Stallone Flicks

• Rambo Series:  There are 4 movies that make up the Rambo Series which include First Blood (1982), Rambo:  First Blood Part II (1985), Rambo III (1988), and Rambo (2008).  You can remember each of them by the particular wars they refer to:  I and II are about Vietnam, III is about Afghanistan (where they refer to Afghan soldiers as "freedom fighters"), and finally, IV is about Burma.  I think they are all great movies in their own ways but my personal favourite is without doubt the first one.  Kind of like Predator (1987) from the Predator Series, while they are all good movies, there is nothing quite like the first introduction to ridiculously memorable characters.  In First Blood (1982), we are introduced to John Rambo, a highly decorated Vietnam War veteran who returns to civilization and is having a rough time fitting in.  It is kind of like that one episode of The Wonder Years where Wayne Arnold's best friend, Wart, returns from Vietnam and gets booed by anti-war protestors because they do not appreciate the realities of war that Wart has to cope with.  In that episode, there is a very touching scene that speaks to Wart's struggle of fitting in to society again, you can watch it here.  First Blood (1982) articulates that struggle very well through the story of John Rambo.
• Lock Up (1989):  I will probably get a lot of heat for saying this, but Lock Up (1989) has a real Shawshank Redemption (1994) feel to it.  Stallone plays a real nice guy named Frank Leone who is serving time in prison for petty theft or some minor misdemeanor.  The Prison Warden holds a great deal of animosity towards Frank, and goes out of his way to make Leone's prison time very difficult.  Frank gets assaulted by prison guards and prisoners alike from orders of the warden.  Despite all of the hardships he is made to endure, he overcomes them by developing beautiful friendships and by thinking positively.  In prison, your body might be trapped but your mind does not have to be.  There are some parts near the end that is kind of stupid and feels as though they just needed an ending so they pieced scenes together.  Still, the journey towards the end is really worth the ride.
• Cop Land (1997):  The only reason I like this movie is because Stallone is so great in it.  It is a very different role from the ones he usually plays.  His character in this movie is kind of a soft-spoken loser with low-confidence.  He is the sheriff of a township called Garrison that is populated by cops and their families.  The cops basically become mob-like in the way in which they wield their power and do not submit to the laws.  There are lots of big names in this movie including:  Robert DiNiro, Janeane Garofalo, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, and Michael Rapaport.  Stallone tries to clean up the town once the cops start to turn on eachother.  Honestly, not a great movie by any means, I watched it while knitting so I did not really pay attention.  I will say it is worth the watch to see how dynamic of an actor Stallone can be.
• The Expendables (2010):  What, you want action?  Here it is on a platter.  I wanted to watch a good old-fashioned action movie and that is exactly what I got with The Expendables.  I am not going to rent some cheap attempt of an action movie like Death Race or one of those Vin Diesel Furious flicks.  No thanks.  I go old school or new school a la old school actors.  When you grow up admiring guys like Stallone, Li, Willis and Schwarzeneggar, they just have greater legitimacy as action heroes.  Max Weber would call it traditional legitimacy.  What is this movie about?  I do not remember, something about overthrowing a dictator and helicopters blowing up.  Does it matter?  No.  Like I said, you want action, you got it.

Other Stallone Flicks

• Tango & Cash (1989):  Wow this movie is bad, real bad, but it has some nice cheesy one-liners.  It is a fun movie to watch if you're looking for some dork-tastic laughs.  Definitely on par with Dirty Work (1998).  For the knitters out there, it is a good movie to knit to because you do not have to watch it closely to follow it and they really exaggerate the one-liners so you will not miss the comedic portions!
• Oscar (1991):  This is a pretty bad movie too but just bad enough to make it good.  It is basically a mob version of movies like Clue (1985).  Utterly ridiculous and hilarious at the same time, pure slapstick comedy!
• Cliffhanger (1993):  Ever wonder how you know Merle Dixon from The Walking Dead?  Folks, he was Hal Tucker from Cliffhanger!  I remember watching this movie when I was younger because my dad walked in, in the middle of it, and someone was swearing profusely in the movie, so dad switched it off and said it was inappropriate for someone my age to be watching it, and rightfully so!  I had not seen the movie in its entirety for DECADES until about a month or so ago.  Not a great movie by any means.  I would not really recommend it at all save for the first few minutes because the opening scene is pretty cool.
• Judge Dredd (1995):  This is an awful but watchable movie.  It is about cops in the future being judges and instituting law and punishment without necessarily going through legal proceedings..or something like that.  All I can remember is an exchange between Diane Lane's character and Stallone.  Diane's character asks Stallone's character if he has any friends to which Stallone replies, "I did".  Pressing further, Diane's character asks, "What happened to them?" which leads Stallone's character to gaze woefully into the distance and state, "I judged him".  I think that exchange alone pretty much made the movie.
• D-Tox (2002):  This movie is not so bad.  It is a psychological thriller, very similar to Val Kilmer's movie, Mindhunters (2004), in the sense that one of the members of the group is a serial killer that is killing everyone else off and the protagonist needs to figure out who it is.  Mindhunters frames the story differently, the characters are all FBI criminal profilers being put to the test, so to speak.  D-Tox is a little different, Stallone's character went through some trauma at the hands of a serial killer, so he goes to a rehabilitation centre for cops, but turns out, the serial killer follows him there and is killing people.  It is not one of those movies where after you watch it, you will think, "oh that was amazing".  But you will definitely want to keep watching to figure out who damn the killer is.
• The Specialist (1994):  Oy vey!  Was Stallone even in this?  I thought this movie was Sharon Stone's personal portfolio seeing how she was in almost every scene!  The storyline is forgettable, the characters, regrettable.  If you want to watch the chemistry between Stone and Stallone, go ahead and watch this.  If you could not care less, skip this for sure.  I would not be surprised if it was written by a 13 year old boy.
• Demolition Man (1993):  I cannot remember this very well so I will probably have to revisit this post to update this.  All I remember is Wesley Snipes scooping out some guy's eyeball with a fork and using it on a retina scanner to get into a high security area.  This scene and the song of the same title by Sting is all I can remember about this movie.  Oh, I remember really enjoying this movie too!

Amigurumi Smiley

One of my favourite co-workers recently left to go back to school.  She used to send me funny smiley faces through the chat program we use at work.  Taking inspiration from that, I made her this as a goodbye present:

Steering Wheel Cozies

Sometime around Winter last year I made some steering wheel cozies:

Pour Moi

Pour Pere

Pour Soeur

Twilight Zombies? NO!!!

I was scanning through some upcoming movies on imdb and I came across Warm Bodies (2013).  What the hey, man?  Is this for real?  Twilight zombies that fall in love and have feelings?

Apparently, the movie is based on a book.  Thus saith the Wikipedia:

"After eating the brains of a suicidal teen, R is overcome with love for the teen's companion, Julie Grigio. R rescues Julie from his zombie pack and takes her back to his lair. She eventually leaves, and R follows her back to Citi Stadium, the largest remaining human refuge."

Zombies have lair's?  Do they have a mortgage and car payments too?  This is just.. ARGHHHHHHHH!!!

Vampire Flicks

I've seen more Stallone movies than movies about vampires so this post will probably be short!

Recommended Vampire Flicks

• Nosferatu (1922):  This movie is incredible.  It is so frightening and really well made.  I notice a lot of silent films are really effective at moving the viewer.  Maybe it is because we are forced to engage by filling in the gaps where the dialogue should be.  Whatever it is, what a really great movie!  It is not exactly a black and white movie because the movie is tinted in different colours depending on the time of day (e.g. yellow during the day, green during the night, red at sunrise, etc.).  The vampire, Count Orlock, might look a bit funny in pictures but he is pretty scary in the movie.  This is probably the best vampire movie out there right now.
• Interview With The Vampire (1994):  This is a pretty cool vampire movie.  Chances are, you have probably seen it already.  If you have not seen it yet, definitely give it a go.  It has got some big-name celebrities like:  Tom Cruise, Antonio Banderas, Kirsten Dunst, Brad Pitt, Christian Slater, etc.  The movie is about a reporter who winds up interviewing a vampire.  The vampire played by Brad Pitt, reflects on his life and the relationships he had with other vampires and humans alike, etc.  Tom Cruise, as vampire Lestat, steals the show though.  He plays a pretty evil guy but he also brings a lot of humour to the movie.  If you have got 123mins to spare and you are in the mood for some quality entertainment, you should consider watching this movie.
• Let The Right One In (2008):   I forgot to add this movie with original post.  It is a Swedish movie (title comes from a Morrissey song) about vampires and there is a bit of a twist in it so I will try not to give too much away.  It is a unique movie because it centers around a child vampire, Eli, and their budding friendship with Oskar, a boy who does not have very many friends and gets picked on a lot.  This movie is careful not to add gore for gore's sake but only when it makes sense, and when is most effective.  I believe they made an English version called Let Me In (2010) but like Nosferatu, why bother with the cheap remake when the original did such a great job?
• The Lost Boys (1987):  This is another late add after this post was initially published because I only just saw this movie a few days ago, and folks, what a great movie!  It is not all about staying gold, pony boy, but in many ways, it is.. (what!)  The Lost Boys is a great 80's movie about 2 brothers who move to Santa Carla and discover vampires!  There are a lot of classic lines in there, especially during exchanges between the two Corey's (Haim and Feldman).  Amidst the cheese and teen angst, there is a really entertaining movie with memorable characters.  It seems like one of those movies you could watch over again when you are bored and still find refreshing.  Definitely recommending!
• Thirst (2009):  This was the other movie I forgot to mention when I first published this post.  It is a Korean movie made by an incredibly good Director, Chan-Wook Park (responsible for the very popular -- and highly recommended-- Vengeance Trilogy).  This movie is about a priest who becomes a vampire and suddenly develops all these urges due to his newly acquired heightened senses.  I like this movie because the vampires are not glamorous and over-the-top, it is literally a priest who is grappling with his morality and his desires.  There is even a scientific explanation for his vampiric condition to try to make this scenario appear realistic.  I should not say too much more, except, I consider myself to have a pretty high level of tolerance for gore but I did fast-forward through some scenes because the sucking sounds when they would feed on someone kind of made me shiver a bit.  Hardcore vampire fans will probably really dig this movie if it is not the costumes they are enamored with but the vampire itself.

Other Vampire Flicks

• Blade Series:  I have seen all three Blade (1998)/(2002)/(2004) movies but the trouble is, they are not necessarily memorable.  I remember disliking the third one because I thought Jessica Biel and Ryan Reynolds ruined it.  The first two were very entertaining but they are also kind of like dance music or jogging, you kind of have to be in the mood for it.  If you are looking for lots of action and want to see Wesley Snipes kick some serious vampire butt, these movies are your medicine and by all means, enjoy.
• Underworld Series:  In the same vein as the Blade Series, the Underworld Series (2003)/(2006)/(2009) is so great if you are in the mood for a fast-paced action hero type movie.  Although, between the two series, I would recommend Blade because it is has rougher edges and feels less contaminated by the Hollywood goo.
• Dracula (1992):  I saw Bram Stoker's Dracula and hated it.  Maybe it is because I saw Nosferatu first and Dracula follows the exact same storyline.  When one movie executes a storyline perfectly, all other movies that attempt to depict the same story will indubitably fail!  I am being so harsh so I will throw in a few good things I did like about the movie, for good measure.  (1) It was neat to finally get the Simpsons reference of Dracula when Mr. Burns had the same heart-shaped beehive hairdo that Gary Oldman had in the movie; (2) I liked that Bram Stoker tried to give the Count a bit of a back story because they do not do that in Nosferatu (although I would argue that the mysteriousness of the Count made him even more frightening); (3) I liked that.. oh, I do not think I can play this game any more!  Keanu Reeves speaks with the worst British accent I have ever heard in my life, it was like needles on a chalkboard throughout this movie!  Avoid!  Avoid!

Zombie Flicks

Okay so it's been all knits and no movie talk so far, so here is my first movie post.  I decided to cover some zombie flicks since zombies have really "come alive" (snort snort) with huge credit to the hit TV show, The Walking Dead!

Tangent
Obviously, I think AMC's The Walking Dead is brilliant so if you have not had the opportunity to watch it yet, PLEASE WATCH IT!  It's one of those shows that just keeps getting better.  I'm so impressed with it not just because of the zombie genre but because the writing is so incredibly well done!

Recommended Zombie Flicks

• Night Of The Living Dead:  Okay so there are two versions of this movie, one is the (1968) version directed by George A. Romero (literally responsible for the Dead Series), and the other is the (1990) version directed by Tom Savini (arguably the godfather of SFX).  While the Romero version is pretty amazing (in the pioneer-of-the-zombie-movies-genre kind of way!), I personally prefer Savini's movie.  There is only one reason why I have this preference and it due to the depiction of women in the latter's movie.  In Romero's version, Barbara played by Judith O'Dea, is so docile (the movie tries to express how this zombie apocalypse can shock someone to the point of immobility) it gets really trying.  By contrast in Savini's version, the role of Barbara played by Patricia Tallman, is someone you can root for.  She characterizes pure survival instinct.  She also says one of the funniest lines in the movie, "they (referring to the zombies) are SO SLOW we could walk right past them!".  Anyway, watch both if you can, if you only have time to watch one, I would suggest Savini's.
• Dawn Of The Dead:  Like above, there are also two versions of this movie, there is a (1978) version and a (2004) version.  I recommend both because they are totally different movies.  Unlike Night Of The Living Dead where the storyline and characters are basically the same (save for Barbara), the Dawn Of The Dead storylines are completely different from eachother.  Personally, I prefer the 1978 version because it just feels more authentic.  The newer version feels like a movie packaged to entertain you; it is action packed, the zombies RUN, it is sexier for the lack of a better word--I mean, you see a pregnant zombie give birth for chrissakes!  The older version is different; it takes its time with character development, the zombies are slow as heck, you even see some stereotypical hillbilly rednecks have a great time shooting at zombies on a field like it is a firing range and having a laugh at it.  Definitely watch both but if you had to pick, the older version is what I consider to be one of the greatest zombie movies ever made.
• The Dead (2010):  I do not know why but I really like this movie.  It is set in Africa and follows the lives of two people, an American Air Force Engineer and an African Army Sargeant, who work together towards their respective goals.  The American wants to find a jet to fix so he can fly back home to his family.  The African wants to be reunited with his last surviving family member, his son.  It is pretty slow paced and the gore is fantastic.  Pure character development.  It was a joy to watch the two leads.  You might not like this movie.  It is like green tea, a bit of an acquired taste.  Warning:  It is VERY slow paced!
• Shaun Of The Dead (2004):  The reason this movie is great is because it is very accessible, characters are likeable, the jokes are super funny, and finally, there are zombies!  Yay!  Anyone can watch this comedy and like it, it is very entertaining.
• Dead Snow (2009):  Like Shaun, this movie seems like one of those movies it is difficult to dislike.  It is a German movie about Nazi zombies that will come after you if you have Nazi gold.. or something great like that.  The zombies are VERY quick and there is a tonne of tasty tasty gore!  There is even a self-amputation in this one!  It is fast-paced, lots of thrills and chills, peppered with the right amount of humour!  Very entertaining.
• Fido (2007):  This is the girlie zombie movie of the bunch.  The movie features some big-name movie stars such as; Billy Connolly, Carrie-Anne Moss and Dylan Baker.  It is an offbeat movie about scientists discovering how to socialize zombies so instead of running from them, we can place collars on them so they can be our slaves.  Yay!  It is a cutesy feel-good movie.  If you are looking for gore, there is none here.  Just a different take on the genre.
• Dead Girl (2008):  This is a weird movie.  It is not that great but it is kind of unique so I am recommending it.  It is a disturbing movie about two teenagers who find a girl in an abandoned insane asylum.  The girl is non-verbal and is tied up to a bed.  They eventually discover that she cannot be killed so they do terrible things to her.  It is one of those weird, uncomfortable flicks.

Other Zombie Flicks

• Quarantine (2008):  I enjoyed this movie a great deal but I may be alone in this.  I can see why many people did not like it (namely because of the the "found footage" filming-style like Cloverfield).  Also, this movie DOES start out slow so it is a bit frustrating, I mean we do not see a "zombie" until 1/3 of the movie in.  Also, zombie is in quotation marks because I think they explained the infection as some advanced form of rabies so the infected are not necessarily dead.  I could be wrong, my memory of this movie is not crystal clear.  Anyway, good movie to watch if you are looking for a few good jolts!
• 28 Days Later (2002):  This movie provides a lot of information about the zombie infection and transmission which not a lot of other movies do because they like to play up the 'real-timeliness' of the situation (i.e. the zombie apocalypse spun out of control and happened so fast, the average person could not possibly know how it all went down).  Zombies in this one run pretty fast too. This movie is not as good as the first three listed above but it is not bad either!
• Day Of The Dead (1985):  This movie was not terrible.  It is part of George A. Romero's Dead Series.  In fact, Romero plays around with the idea of zombie sentience in this movie.  There is a mad scientist who works closely with a zombie named Bub trying to trigger Bub's memory.  Over time, Bub stops trying to attack the mad scientist and becomes his friend almost.  Anyway, anyway, it is an okay movie.  It is not a bad movie to watch if you are looking to veg out.
• Land Of The Dead (2005):  Again, this movie is not terrible either, its downfall is that it is just "too Hollywood".  Part of the Dead Series, it covers the zombie movies formula, same deal; zombie apocalypse, people try to maintain security in a fenced off area but zombie troubles ensue.  The best part of this movie is the scene where you see the zombies walk under water to get to the island where the humans are.  This movie also plays with the idea of zombie sentience.  Again, not a horrible waste of time but definitely not a classic either.
• Survival Of The Dead (2004):  So this movie just sucks.  I think it is supposed to be a quirky movie but it felt really poorly executed.  This is a definitely-don't-bother.  Basically, there is an island with zombies but the human inhabitants do not want to kill the zombies because some of the humans believe that the zombies can be trained to eat animals and stop eating humans.  Ugh I really did not like this movie.  The acting sucks, the dialogue sucks, the story sucks, everything sucks about this movie except for the SFX.  It is part of Romero's Dead Series sadly.
• 28 Weeks Later (2007):  This movie is not bad at all, it is kind of like 28 Days Later but of the two, I would recommend the 28 Days.  The gore is great and there is lots of good action but feels like it is missing something quality-wise.  Like Land Of The Dead, it is too formulaic but the formula it uses has running zombies and more zombie-chase action unlike most of Romero's zombies that cannot run.  Not half bad but not quality.
• Resident Evil:  I have seen Resident Evil 1, 2, and 3 but it is kind of a whole different breed on its own because it deals a lot with infection and mutation.  It is not a zombie flick in the purest sense, rather it is more video-gamey than anything.  I enjoyed watching them but I am not sure I would recommend them to a person looking for good pure zombie movies.  Wow that sounds stupid.  Anyway, you know what I mean, right?