The Pact (2012)

Caity Lotz stars in this odd movie alongside Casper Van Dien and other unknown actors, to me at least. I honestly wouldn't call this a horror movie, it's more along the lines of a supernatural thriller & that's only because there's like ghostly shit happening every now and then but..shh okay I won't ruin that. Annie (Caity Lotz) walks barefoot all the time & doesn't learn from her mistakes & even though she says in the beginning of the movie that everyone in her family leaves during difficult situations, well I thought she was joking. Bitch bolted out the door way too many times. The camera pauses a lot around the house where all the action takes place. To build suspense? I kept thinking the movie had frozen, got annoying, it happens throughout the whole thing. Not often but once too many times.

Casper Van Dien has a small role as a police officer, maybe detective since he's in regular clothes all the time. He also has a Clint Eastwood thing going on vocally. One too many cigarettes. Watch it once because it's not very noteworthy. Not bad, but just..whatever.

~Salinger

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2011)

This "horror" movie is one for the kids, ages 10+ imo. It's rated R but, c'mon, these kids watch crazier things (Netflix has a ages 16+ advisory notice). There are a handful of moments when your heart skips a beat from an unexpected scare, but with rat sized creatures (a quick Google Image search will show you what I mean) that are fully shown from early on in the movie, there is little to be scared over. There are an exact two scenes of any actual bloody violence and the first is left a bit more to the imagination.

I'm at the 11 minute countdown to being done and well,  I really stuck with this movie only because it's not completely terrible and I wanted to see the ending. The acting is ok, it's the script that hams things up. And really, the "monsters" are shown too often and are too visible for any sort of suspense. Then there's the child vs adult theme happening, and that's always annoying.

Kid: Daddy, there's monsters here.

Father: It's just your imagination.

You know, that type of thing & no one believes her until it's too late. Also there's a very obvious spin to the Tooth Fairy stories.

Ok, the ending is interesting, it leaves the possibility of a second movie option or just tries to lead the viewer into thinking about how these creatures might increase in numbers. Worth watching if you're into soft "horror" movies.

~Salinger

All Quiet on the Western Front

All Quiet on the Western Front

by Erich Maria Remarque

This book was very eye opening. I had seen the movie as part of the movie challenge and decided that I was going to read it, because I loved the movie. The book has the same surmise as the book and only differs in length but other than that everything is the same. Now the book if you didn’t read the movies premise is about a group of German classmates that go to war together. One by one as they fall to the experiences of war, they discover that people have made seem as something glorious when in reality it is a nasty , self-loathing experience. They also find that when they express themselves to the people coming home, they are treated like traitors by the very men who praise war in all its forms but have never themselves been in one. The story is told mostly through the point of view of the soldier Paul. The story whether read or viewed always makes me want to cry, its one of those pieces which neither glorifies war nor negates war. It is only a story about a boy who had no desire to enter into a conflict that had little to do with him, and how he pays for the consequences.  The end of the book ends in the same way, with Paul reaching for the butterfly. This butterfly that represents memories forgotten, friends long gone and of unreachable peace in the soul.  This is the plight of the solder, according to the author, the inability to rest the troubled soul of the warrior. Paul, after seeing so many horrors, when he comes home cannot be at ease as he used to be. His innocence has been taken and so his love for the simple things of life. He has faced the harsh reality of the war and cannot be at peace with the chaos and self- destruction he sees in his home. In his home his infirm mother is battling with cancer and he cannot do anything.  He does not know how to face the unseen enemy ailing his mother.  Paul is a hero at the end of this novel, but one of those nameless heroes’, a name on a wall of thanks. The author makes you see both sides of the war and he brings war to the true harsh reality, that we are sending our brothers, fathers, sons, lovers, and friends  to a battle that is not there’s but that they shall fight for.

Forgot about Me?

So Bolingbroke is back bitches and I'm loaded with reading Material and movie reviews!

So I took a forced vacation cuz my papa-san won't pay the internet and i finally came back to school so anyways here it is my welcome back =]

Kiss The Dead - Salinger

Tres sorry ya'll, unlike Bolingbroke, my only online connection has ever been dial-up and friend's internet. And now phone. But I have a cheap phone and don't have an app for Blogger and I'd really like to include pictures, but can't so that's why I make ya'll wait and wait. And you love me right? =]

Okay, so Kiss The Dead by Laurel K. Hamilton

Bolingbroke pretty much said the main faults of the book. 

• Still too much sex
• Anita's morality is still an issue
• She's spouting out tween lingo now
• Her height bother's her (though it shouldn't since she's "tough as nails" now)
• The sex again
• Where is this series going?
• Pointless

 I'll give LKH props for toning down the sex scenes down just a notch, but they're still there, for those of you that enjoy them. Also there was more Marshal Anita Blake and I liked that, but from page one all the way to pretty much chapter 17, it was all her investigating one crime scene, going to the next clue onto Boring St.

Anita is becoming too powerful and if the main character can bend time and become Neo..well what the fuck next? What other bad guy is left for her to beat up? I'm too involved in the series to just stop reading it, still hoping that this little ray of light will turn into a decent book and get things going back in the, in my opinion, the right direction.

~Salinger

Kiss of the Dead

Hello, I am still alive an promise to one day add the other books i've read, I know i've been lagging it, but no internet! Anyway to the problem.
Kiss the Dead
 Book number 21... what can i say about this series? That it started dying at book 16? Maybe and that i keep hoping LKH will get her shit together and write a new and exciting book worthy of Anita? Maybe. I liked the series up to the Harlequin. Now even i have hard time defending LKH, if only she tried harder. I feel the plot line is rehashed, and sometimes she drifts so fucking far that its hard to remember what the fuck really happened. I miss the days where Anita was just  plain hard ass and stuck to her guns. Now shes happy and doesn't care about anything. I like the fact that shes ok having a thousand and one boyfriends but come on at least make them part of your main story. I think in this book Nathaniel her number 2 main bf had like seven lines. I love the Nathaniel and it is because of him i read the series. Hoping for Anita to change! To not ask questions like, why did she mind sleeping with a 18 year old? or Do the cops take me seriously? To stop bitching about her height! She can't magically grow two inches get over it! You made her short fucking deal! Furthermore why you always toying with Nathaniel's life? You kill Nathaniel and I'm done with you LKH! I suggest Ms. Hamilton take a break- not the pathetic two hr break she took last time- no a real one, and think about some new plot lines and where she wants the series to go, because right now there is no direction. And stop with the random sex, please, it used to be fun when it was a guilty pleasure. Haven't you heard too much of something is bad enough? ( Spice Girls anyone?) anyway she gives it up (literally) in such copious amounts im wondering if her vagina is the circus of the damned. Its just bad, bad and  sex is never bad. But she made it bad. Its like this no one likes a gray character (hear that fifty shades of grey?) Anita either has morals or she  doesn't make up your mind. LKH make me want to read Anita again. Give your audience something to work with, have Anita chased by Olaf and a undead and were beast army, cuz now he master of the city of dallas or something and all her lovers go to protect her and she whoops ass or something like a three trimuverate convergence!!!

Dark Shadows

Just got home from a wonderful night out with Blondie, Wifey and Ed. We had amazing pupusas & home made vegan cake. Delish. Then we went to see Dark Shadows.

Amazing. Can Johnny Depp do no wrong? It certainly seems that way. Dark Shadows is a cooky movie that could have quickly turned bad had it not been set mainly in the 70's. Well, 1971, maybe '71, no 1972! The cast was amazing, no complaints whatsoever about anyone, and I believe that's a first for me. The script was genius, maybe a bit too serious for anyone looking for a comedic movie throughout. Don't get me wrong, there's side-splitting moments, but the main theme is love. And love is a serious matter.

You'll come out of the theater with an array of new catch-phrases and believe me reader, you shall catch yourself conversing in the Queen's.. Old English! Do watch Dark Shadows for your own and write me a line if you wish to add your thoughts. Oy, I can't carry that shit on for too long. Go watch it.

p.s. Ok, I think I've just remembered one or two things that bugged me. These are minor things that just barely make a dent in an otherwise flawless movie. 1. Chloe Grace Moretz character is an annoying teen and Ms. Moretz plays the part beautifully, if maybe a little too convincing. I really didn't like her angtsy scenes, but all of that is explained. 2. Towards the end, Angie explains certain things too quickly, as if they didn't matter, or as if things should have been extremely obvious and she just stepped from behind a curtain to say, "Well duh!" Those are my two only complaints. I still give this movie a 5*.

~Salinger

Day 8: The Great Ziegfeld

The Great Ziegfeld:1936:Winner of the 9^th Academy Awards

Starring:

William Powell as Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr.

Myrna Loy as Billie Burke

Luise Rainer as Anna Held

Frank Morgan as Jack Billings

Fanny Brice as Herself

Virginia Bruce as Audrey Dane

Reginald Owen as Sampson, Flo's frequently-nervous bookkeeper

Ray Bolger as Himself

Ernest Cossart as Sidney, Billing's valet, who is hired away by Flo

Joseph Cawthorn as Dr. Ziegfeld

Nat Pendleton as Eugen Sandow

Harriet Hoctor as Herself

Jean Chatburn as Mary Lou

Paul Irving as Erlanger, Billing's later partner

Herman Bing as Costumer

Buddy Doyle as Eddie Cantor

The Great Ziegfeld is a stunning masterpiece! I truly mean it! I was so awed by the stage show that I wish I had a transport machine to take me to the 20’s and be present to one of his shows. The Ziegfeld Follies and to have been able to see them in their hayday! Ahh what a wish, however I could have done without the back story. Ziegfeld going up, Ziegfeld coming down… blah blah blahitty blah. I did like Fannie Brice’s bit though she was funny. Truthfully this is  the movie I thought I would like best from the three and since one I haven’t seen and one I think is kind of awesome “The Broadway Melody” I say watch this only for the shows. Skip the talking and the politics … unless you like to be bored. What I can also say is this, half of the “Wizard of Oz” is in the movie. The Wizard Oz, The  Scarecrow, and The Good Witch of the North. But seriously, this film bleh!

It also won awards for:

Academy Award for Best Actress - Luise Rainer

Academy Award for Best Dance Direction - Seymour Felix - For "A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody".

Day 7: The Broadway Melody

The Broadway Melody:1929: Winner of the 2^nd Academy Award

Starring:

Charles King  as Eddie Kearns

Anita Page as Queenie Mahoney

Bessie Love as Harriet (Hank) Mahoney

Today was the first time I  have seen a movie that old since “Diary of a Lost Girl”, it was pretty good. The plot since I know most people won’t bother to watch , is about two sisters in the era of the two-bit sister act. Hank the older sister is more talented than Queenie but not half as pretty. They are in New York to make it big in the city. Eddie, Hank’s boyfriend, has promised them promising spots, considering he is a sing and dance guy. Zenfield, the head of the department is enchanted by Queenie’s beauty and is happy tp put her in the show despite her lack of talent. Hank has the talent but not the face and is dismissed by Zenfield, however Quenie talks him into hiring them both, so he agrees. Eddie has fallen in love with Queenie and she with him, but they do not dare to carry on with their love because it would hurt Hank. Queenie was raised by Hank and so she knows how disastrous this may seem to her. To dissuade her feelings she starts to go out with a “stage door Johnny” named Jock Wernier. The tension rises because Queenine and Eddie are always fighting about Jock and Hank gets thrown in the middle. After the shows first performance a couple of weeks later Hank realizes that her sister and her fiancé have the hots for each other and decides to step down and let them be happy. A couple of months later, they are seen coming back from their honeymoon and they insist that Hank live with them (as if pfft.) and she politely declines. The last scene is split between Queenie telling Eddie that she is sad that Hank never catches a break and that she took him from her. The other half is Hank in the train car looking dejected but trying to motivate herself.

So this movie was good but fuck that bitch Queenie. I hate her. How dare she steal her sister’s man! How could she, I know the saying goes, “the heart wants what it wants,” but goddamn , Hank has given Queenie everything and Queenie took it away . Her spot in the show, her man  and her chance at happiness. Come on, can Hank please meet a fabulous guy to make up for what Queenie has done! Why is it that its ok for a decent looking girl to lose the love of her life to the prettier girl? I really was burned by that, and I hated Eddie for not being able to look beyond the looks and for falling in love with the “kind and gentle beauty.” *Sigh* It was totally unfair and I have a slight with Queenie, and Hank wasa bigger person for forgiving them and for allowing their love to blossom. I just wish that she had some recompense in return, you know. I liked it well enough the songs are annoyingly catchy,(although not as catchy as a Bollywood song)  and the dance numbers are supreme.  Furthermore it kind of reminds you of a lighter hearted Chicago. Although shit, Vilma Kelly had it right .. do the crime, do the time but get even. 

Day 6: The English Patient

The English Patient:1996: Winner of the 69^th Academy Awards

Starring:

Ralph Fiennes as Count László Almásy

Juliette Binoche as Hana

Willem Dafoe as David Caravaggio

Kristin Scott Thomas as Katharine Clifton

Naveen Andrews as Kip

Colin Firth as Geoffrey Clifton

Julian Wadham as Madox

Jürgen Prochnow as Major Muller

Kevin Whately as Sgt. Hardy

Clive Merrison as Fenelon-Barnes

Salinger and I had wanted to see this film since, well her since she found out that Ralph Fiennes was in it and myself, since I found it on Netflix. However it wasn’t until today and the verdict is, I loved it!!It made me cry and the love story was amazing. The story centers around a burned man found in the Desert after WW2, in this garrison a nurse named Hana tries to nurse him back to health. She has lost everyone she loved and is taking upon herself to save this man, this English Patient. They find an abandoned monastery in the Italian countryside and use it as a place for him to get better. A couple of nights later we meet Moose, David Caravaggio, who was someone that the English Patient knew in a past life, the life he cannot now remember or does not wish too. This is how the love story between Mrs. Clifton and Count de Almasy is told. Through flashback we get a glimpse of the man who was burned and heartbroken. This was a really good, albeit long, movie. I truly enjoyed it and was glad to watch. Yesterday I was complaining about overused love plots and today I find myself rekindled in that belief. Even though it was tragic and sad and I ended up with my eyes watering, I also found myself thinking that love is really all that drives human condition. Without love there is no life. It is life that brings the profound sense of belonging and acceptance that humans need. Yes, I got all that from watching this movie. Because when Hana the nurse is telling the English Patient that she wants to make him better he says that he prefers to leave this world as has his beloved. The movie was really good, I recommended that everyone watch it.

It also won awards for:

Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Juliette Binoche

 Best Art Direction-Set Decoration : Stuart Craig and Stephanie McMillan

 Best Cinematography  : John Seale

 Best Costume Design : Ann Roth

 Best Director :Anthony Minghella

Best Film Editing :Walter Murch

Best Original Score :Gabriel Yared

Best Sound :Walter Murch, Mark Berger, David Parker, and Christopher Newman

Day 5: West Side Story

West Side Story: 1961: Winner of the 34^th Academy Awards

Starring:

Natalie Wood (Marni Nixon, singing) – Maria Nunez

Richard Beymer (Jimmy Bryant, singing) – Tony Wycek,

 Russ Tamblyn – Riff Lorton,

Rita Moreno (Betty Wand, singing) – Anita,

George Chakiris – Bernardo Nunez

Simon Oakland – Lieutenant Schrank,

Ned Glass – Doc,

William Bramley – Officer Krupke,

John Astin – Glad Hand

Penny Santon – Madam Lucia

The Jets:

Tucker Smith – Ice,

Tony Mordente – Action,

Eliot Feld – Baby John

David Winters – A-Rab

Bert Michaels – Snowboy

David Bean – Tiger

Robert Banas – Joyboy

Anthony 'Scooter' Teague – Big Deal

Harvey Hohnecker – Mouthpiece

Tommy Abbott – Gee-Tar

Jet Girls:

Susan Oakes – Anybodys

Gina Trikonis – Graziella

Carole D'Andrea – Velma, Ice's girl

Rita Hyde d'Amico – Clarice, Big Deal's girl

Pat Tribble – Minnie, Baby John's girl

Francesca Bellini – "Cool" dancer

Elaine Joyce – dancer

Sharks:

Jose DeVega – Chino Martin

Jay Norman – Pepe

Gus Trikonis – Indio

Eddie Verso – Juano

Jamie Rogers – Loco

Larry Roquemore – Rocco

Robert E. Thompson – Luis

Nick Covacevich – Toro

Rudy Del Campo – Del Campo

Andre Tayir – Chile

Shark Girls:

Yvonne Othon – Consuela

Suzie Kaye – Rosalia

Joanne Miya – Francisca

West Side Story is based on Shakespeare’s classic Romeo and Juilet, however he is substituting warring families with warring nations. The Jets are the rough and tumble low bred Whites, the Sharks the newly exported Puerto Ricans. The story is set in the 50’s a very tense and racial time in America’s history and of course one member of each the warring countries people falls inevitably in love with each other. I wish I had watched this movie when I was younger. That way I wouldn’t be so hard on it, even thought it was lovely and I can’t stop singing that damn “Tonight ,Tonight” song , I think it might have lacked something. Maybe I just don’t like gang movies because they frustrate me, or maybe the false accents were really starting to grind against my Hispanic ego, hell if I know the right reason, it just wasn’t all that amazing plot wise to me. However the dance numbers were worth the watch all on their own. I soo wanna dance like that on a New York building now! I love Natalie Wood, ever since I saw her in “Sex and the Single Girl”, and West Side Story almost made me think, eh she’s not that great, until the last scene which was the saving grace. If you’re going to watch the movie watch it for the dancing, the songs, for the love story and try to watch it before you’ve watched some of other greatest love stories. I will say this though; this would be great on Broadway.

It has also won awards for:

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor – George Chakiris

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress – Rita Moreno

Academy Award for Best Art Direction – Victor A. Gangelin and Boris Leven

Academy Award for Best Cinematography – Daniel L. Fapp

Academy Award for Best Costume Design– Irene Sharaff

Academy Award for Best Director – Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise

Academy Award for Best Film Editing – Thomas Stanford

Academy Award for Best Original Score – Saul Chaplin, Johnny Green, Irwin Kostal, and Sid Ramin

Academy Award for Best Sound – Fred Hynes and Gordon E. Sawyer 

Day 4: Rain Man

Rain Man: 1988: Winner of the 61^st Academy Awards.

Starring:

Tom Cruise  as Charlie Babbit

Dustin Hoffman as Raymand Babbit

Valeria Golino as Susanna

Gerald R. Molen as Dr. John Brunner

The story is about a selfish, conceited,  egotistical asshole named  Jerry Maguire  ohh I mean Charlie Babbitt. His father dies and he is found in the position of being exorcised of the will, which is 3 million dollars’ worth of estate. Babbitt finds out that it belongs to his newly discovered half-brother Raymond Babbitt. Raymond is autistic and has been living in a mental institution for nigh on twenty years. He moved in two years after Charlie was born and right after their mother died.  Wanting to attain half of Raymond’s money he kidnaps him and in exchange asks for 1.5 million dollars. On this road trip Charlie finds himself growing fonder r of Raymond, especially in this one scene in the bathroom, where they are brushing Ray’s teeth. In one of the beginning scene s  Charlie tells his girlfriend that when he was little the “rain man” would come to sing to him when he got scared. During this brushing of the teeth scene, Raymond tells him that he C-H-A-R-L-I-E was scared and that not to fear, that the “rain man” would come to sing to him. Btw it wasn’t till then I got the title of the movie. Moving on Ray has an uncanny ability to know the exact amount of something if he takes one quick look at it, he is very good with numbers. This prompts Charlie who is having monetary issues to go to Vega s and makes some quick bucks. They win 85,500 dollars and Ray goes on his first date. Then they come back to LA and Charlie realizes that he really does love Ray and doesn’t want to lose him. However the morning episode proves that he doesn’t qualify to be Ray’s protector so he gives Dr. Brunner back custody of Ray. ]

Alright, alright the movie was pretty good, but it also made me remember why I hate Tom Cruise, he is such a cocky little butt wipe. Excusing him in “Interview with a Vampire” , I just can’t stomach him. However the movie was way easier to watch than the previous night’s pick. And it made me cry, wait never mind that was yawning tears. I checked the competition and yeah it was the best 1988 could offer. So watch it if you’re going to compare to Forrest Gump and Radio but don’t expect too much. After all its an 80’s film.

It also won awards for:

Best Actor in a Leading Role (Dustin Hoffman)

Best Director: Barry Levinson

 Best Writing, Original Screenplay: Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass

Day 3: Lawrence of Arabia

Lawrence of Arabia: 1963: 33rd Winner of the Academy Award


Starring:



Peter O'Toole as Thomas Edward "T. E." Lawrence. 
Alec Guinness as Prince Faisal. 
Anthony Quinn as Auda abu Tayi. 
Jack Hawkins as General Allenby. 
Omar Sharif as Sherif Ali ibn el Kharish
José Ferrer as the Turkish Bey. 
Anthony Quayle as Colonel Harry Brighton. 
Claude Rains as Mr. Dryden. 
Donald Wolfit as General Murray. 
Michel Ray as Farraj. 
I.S. Johar as Gasim. 
Zia Mohyeddin as Tafas. 
John Dimech as Daud. 
Fernando Sancho as the Turkish sergeant. 
Jack Gwillim as the club secretary.
Harry Fowler as Corporal Potter
Howard Marion-Crawford as the medical officer. 
Norman Rossington as Corporal Jenkins
Jack Hedley as a reporter



Today I spent about four hours on the most ridiculously long movie ever! Perhaps because I didn't want to watch it in the first place, maybe that's why I really didn't like it. Lets start with problem number 1: the length, unlike some of the other classic masterpieces i.e. "Gone with the Wind"  who have unforgettable lines and unforgettable moments, this movie had neither. Number 2, unnecessary shots of the desert and prolonging unnecessary. for example the whole crossing of the Nefud could have been more interesting if it wasn't thirty minutes long. Number 3, it had a good score but all the characters were gigantic asswipes including Lawerence himself. Call me crazy but how did this movie beat "How to Kill a Mockingbird"? Maybe it won for "Longest Picture EVER".   *Sigh*, maybe I just hate war movies, maybe I didn't understand the whole premise, hey I am not Roger Ebert and am entitled therefore to say this movie ... not to my liking. It was boring, but I will say this the music was beautiful and I am considering buying the soundtrack for it. My opinion, don't bother watching this movie, unless you've accepted a challenge such as this. 


It has also won awards for:





Best Director: David Lean 
Best Art Direction: John Box, John Stoll and Dario Simoni
Best Cinematography: Frederick A. Young
Best Substantially Original Score: Maurice Jarre
Best Film Editing: Ann V. Coates
Best Sound: John Cox

All About Eve

This movie reasures you that women are truly evil, conniving bitches when it comes to making it to the top. Also, that the late 40's-50's "accent" is very soothing. The movie almost put me to sleep, not out of boredom, but the actor's voices are just so damn soothing, I say!

Bolingbroke will for sure have talked about Marilyn Monroe's part in the movie, but shh...it could have been played by anyone. Though she did play dumb convincingly. Anyways, this movie is also worth a watch. Why? It's Bettie Davis, that's why! Great acting, great storyline. I likes. And I'm having a brain fart day so don't piss on my uber short reviews, ey?

~Salinger

Day 2: All About Eve

All About Eve : 1950: Winner of the 23^rd Academy Award

Starring:

Bette Davis as Margo Channing

Anne Baxter as Eve Harrington

George Sanders as Addison DeWitt

Celeste Holm as Karen Richards

Gary Merrill as Bill Sampson

Hugh Marlowe as Lloyd Richards

Thelma Ritter as Birdie

Gregory Ratoff as Max Fabian

Marilyn Monroe as Miss Caswell

Barbara Bates as Phoebe

The premise is about life in the theatre and the people in it. The movie is centered around Eve  a young starlet, who aspires and hungers for greatness. She builds her web until has caught a good cast to make her dreams come true. However karma is not far behind and justice is served, on a silver platter.

When I first watched this movie I was 15! I was on a hunt to watch all Marilyn Monroe films. Even if she had only two min of screen time and so it was that I was introduced to this movie. This movie has a little bit of everything, intrigue and mystery, girl on girl crime and a really good villain. I think this is my favorite Anne Baxter performance and I also think that it was a perfect movie for Bette Davis like Gloria Swanson in Sunset Blvd. There is a lot of dialogue in the film which sometimes makes it dry but trust me this is one to watch, a truly timeless classic.   

It also won awards for:

Best Supporting Actor:  George Sanders

Best Costume Design for a Black-and-White film: Edith Head and Charles Le Maire

Best Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Best Writing, Screenplay: Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Best Sound Recording: Thomas T. Moulton

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

Saw this movie yesterday with Bolingbroke. Was great. Very moving. With an all-star cast; Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd and an unknown Brad Dourif, things could have gone crezzy time. Maybe pulled a Whatever Happened to Baby Jane. It's mah scene boy! Gimme my five minutes! Or something like that. I don't feel like spoiling this movie except to say, "Oh Chief, I do love you."

Five stars, two thumbs up, whatever. I liked it.

~Salinger

Day 1: One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest : 1975: Winner of the 48^th Academy Awards 1976

Starring:

Jack Nicholson as Randle McMurphy

Louise Fletcher as Nurse Ratched

William Redfield as Dale Harding

Will Sampson as "Chief" Bromden

Brad Dourif as Billy Bibbit

Sydney Lassick as Charlie Cheswick

Danny DeVito as Martini

Christopher Lloyd as Max Taber

Dean R. Brooks as Dr. John Spivey

William Duell as Jim Sefelt

Vincent Schiavelli as Frederickson

Delos V. Smith as Scanlon

Michael Berryman as Ellis

Nathan George as Attendant Washington

Lan Fendors as Nurse Itsu

Mimi Sarkisian as Nurse Pilbow

Mews Small as Candy

Scatman Crothers as Orderly Turkle

Louisa Moritz as Rose

The movie is about Randall, a convicted man who is deemed deranged and mentally ill, as he tries to free himself and the other patients from the authoritarian rule of the bitchy evil head nurse. In the process he forms a bond and friendship with “Chief” a man who is deaf and dumb therefore mute. He tries to break all the prisoners free but his last romp and subsequent desire to flee go wrong and he gets punished for it. In the end however through his act of courage he inspires “Chief” to be as “big as a mountain” and he is free.

Ok, so I skipped a lot of the plot but trust me when I say there is no better way of watching a movie than not knowing what is going to happen. I had had this movie on my Netflix queue for a while now and never really wanted to watch it, even when my wifey said it was the shits. However now that I did I don’t regret it at all. It was everything I thought it would be and more. I was really sad when one of the prisoner’s comes back with a lobotomy, and it got me thinking that the human race is really cruel. Not like I didn’t know, it was just something else to see it captured on camera. I was so tearing up and in the end I was rooting for Chief to be free! Be free! I can now understand why it won an Oscar. It was a depiction of the institutionalization of the deranged and how unfairly they were mistreated. Very good film!

It also won awards for :

Best Director : Miloš Forman

Best Leading Actor: Jack Nichoson (does crazy good)

Best Leading  Actress: Louise Fletcher  (does angry bitch good)

Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

The List

So as per dictation, I have begun the undertaking of the movie list. Last night I typed it up and shall post it on here.

1.  Wings
2. The Broadway Melody
3. All Quiet on the Western Front
4. Cimarron
5. Grand Hotel
6. Cavalcade
7. It Happened One Night
8. Mutiny on the Bounty
9. The  Great Zeigfield.
10. The Life of Emile Zola
11. You Can’t Take it with You
12. Gone with the Wind
13. Rebecca
14. How Green was My Valley
15. Mrs. Miniver
16. Casablanca
17. Going My Way
18. The  Lost Weekend
19. The Best Years of our Lives
20. Gentleman’s Agreement
21. Hamlet
22. All The Kings Men
23. All About Eve
24. An American in Paris
25. The Greatest Show on Earth
26. From Here to Eternity
27. On the Waterfront
28. Marty
29. Around the World in 80 Days
30. The Bridge on the River Kwai
31. Gi-Gi
32. Ben-Hur
33. The Apartment
34. West Side Story
35. Lawrence of Arabia
36. Tom Jones
37. My Fair Lady
38. The Sound of Music
39. A Man for all Seasons
40. In the Heat of the Night
41. Oliver!
42. Midnight Cowboy
43. Patton
44. The French Connection
45. The Godfather
46. The Sting
47. The Godfather II
48. One Flew over the Cukoo’s Nest
49. Rocky
50. Annie Hall
51. The Deer Hunter
52. Kramer vs. Kramer
53. Ordinary People
54. Chariots of Fire
55. Gandhi
56. Terms of Endearment 
57. Amadeus
58. Out of Africa
59. Platoon
60. The Last Emperor
61. Rain Man
62. Driving Miss Daisy
63. Dances with Wolves
64. The Silence of the Lambs
65. Unforgiven
66. Schindler’s List
67. Forrest Gump
68. Brave Heart
69. The English Patient
70. Titanic
71. Shakespeare in Love
72. American Beauty
73. Gladiator
74. A Beautiful Mind
75. Chicago
76. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
77. Million Dollar Baby
78. Crash
79. The Departed
80. No Country for Old Men
81. Slumdog  Millionaire
82. The Hurt Locker
83. The King’s Speech

This is the list, I shall add the 84^th when the awards show air on February something. Well anyway the undertaking has begun and Salinger and I assembled in my living room to watch one of the movies that I had access too. One thing I have to say is that I am watching them in random order, because some of them are really hard to find like “Wings”,So bear with me and the random order of things. 

Challenge: Accepted!

In light of my current loser status, I have decided to undertake a challenge. Watch all the academy award winning films. There are currently 83 in like two weeks it shall be 84, so let us say 84. The goal is to watch one every day and then write a blog. I shall give myself exactly 84 days. Wait, considering I’m always going to visit my grandma, I shall extend to a full 100. This will be enough time to watch them all and still have a semblance of a life. Why am I doing this, you ask. Simple. I am obsessed with films, I collect films, movies. I want to watch everything that’s ever received an award, simply because I trust they have to be spectacular to win an award. There have been a couple on the list I have already watched so I have cut it down some. But I have also decided to watch them again in case I can’t get one of the ones on the list. So , tis all wish me luck!

The Devil Inside

As Bolingbroke already stated, this movie bites. Camera work, the script, lighting, and occasionally the acting all bought a ticket to This Shit Stinks. Bolingbroke pretty much summed it up, so I'll just say the parts that really irked me.

1. Swearing priest - Fine, these were young American priests in Italy, but wow, it's still shocking to hear f-bombs come out from a priests mouth. "What the fuck are we gonna do?!" "Will you just shut the fuck up, we're in a seriously fucked up situation here!" (Okay, those aren't direct quotes, but there was that much fuck going around.)
2. Shitty roles - Everyone was lost. The movie was done in a "documentary" style, so it's supposed to be "raw" footage. Raw describes it well, sewage. Trash. Garbage. The people in charge were assholes, maybe the language barrier? I don't know, and it looked like they didn't either.
3. Shaky camera - Whoa Nelly, was I watching The Devil Inside or The Blair Witch Project? Again, another product of "documentary" style "filming." It's like this throughout the movie, so if you couldn't stand it in the Blair Witch, just don't watch it. La nausea, la vomito. (You get's the King of the Hill reference?)
4. Insta-cured! - The actual exorcisms took all of 10 minutes with minor resistance. I shit you not, it sucked. Except for the peeps performance. I'm talking about the priests.

The only saving grace in this shitty movie were the only two possessed people. And extra kudos to the contortionist. You'll love that part, the movie would not have been so terrible, okay yes it would, but it would have left you with a nice feeling, because you just dropped money for dinner but ended up watching a crapsy movie instead, if the exorcisms were longer. And Another thumbs up to Suzan Crowley, her portrayal of bitchy possessed person was totally convincing. I hates you, ya bitch! See, she was good!

~Salinger 

Hell

Hell by Robert Olen Butler, is the last in a string of random novels that I have just picked up. I bought this novel on a whim a couple of weeks ago, the cover art caught me and just didn't let me go. It was my reading project for the week and I can honestly say that it was ... wait for it.... ehhh. just like that. Here's the skinny bitches: Hatcher McCord award winning journalist on earth is now and forever shall be in Hell. He is now anchorman of the Evening News From Hell. Although he is set with a cast were you honestly can't lose, the story does. Firstly his girlfriend is Anne Boleyn, yes that one, anyway there is so much material with that character it makes one wonder why he didn't use her to his full advantage. Firstly she stays in the apartment all the time and her ending is so weak. I think in fact that might be the downright fact. The story has potential and is so weak. He meets all these interesting and renowned people and you get excited to meet them or get to know them through Hatcher but the result is usually a major let down.  I think the saddest part of the book was perhaps the end, where he gets a chance to maybe escape and turns it down. The whole book is about his search for Heaven and when he finds it he turns it down. Why in the world would anyone do that? Why choose a life where everyone you hate is congregated in approximately the same breathing space as you? Bitch please, this book was sometimes HELL to read. (pun intended) It didn't prove to be a good time filler, more like you started it, now finish it. I hated that Hatcher had so much freedom, hated that he got to roam around Hell and hated that Satan was just sitting and watching instead of taking torturous action. I think that oddly enough my biggest plight with the novel was this: If Lilith (grand matron of the succubi) had two main daughters, why on any plane of souls would she name them "Lily" or "Lulu"? I mean come on! Be creative and not half-assed. Furthermore Butler uses famous peoples names like I use toilet paper, an unnecessary amount, and it ends up like the product, flushed down the toilet, he just throws names around, talk about name dropper without any probable cause. It was not what I expected, it left me wanting more. Bolingbroke not pleased.
...Bolingbroke...

The Devil Inside

The Devil Inside is the name of the movie Salinger and I choose to watch this weekend with my wife  and R. Anyway we were late so caught the 11:40 showing of the movie. Why is this pertinent to know? Because dear reader there we’re four other movies showing at the same or roughly the same time. That should have been the first sign. The second sign should have been when my id got stuck in my wallet and even though everyone is older than me I had to show my id. Pftt.. thir d sign should have been when we got our movie tickets handed too us, they gave us  Mission Impossible 4  tickets. We should have taken his que, movie sucks watch this instead.  Although Twilight and its franchise take the cake in horrible and well there are a few that beat it in stupid (Paranormal Franchise anyone?) It was abysmal. I think I laughed more than I was frightened. Plus the end was super stupid, the premise was predictable. The plot goes like this, in the beginning we are shown the police footage of the discovery of the three murders Maria Rossi committed, and then they fast forward some years to Isabella Rossi who wants to know what really lead her mother to commit those atrocious attacks. Turns out her father who is now dead, revealed to her that she had an exorcism and that this is the reason why she is now in an insane asylum in Rome.  She is on team documentation with Michael who hopes to get good footage. They go to visit Isabella’s mom and get some footage of her acting funky, but mostly like a crazy person not like a possessed person.  They leave after Isabella’s mother gets agitated and angry. They attend some classes and come into contact with two priests who preform exorcism without the Holy See’s blessing or approval.  Isabella wants them to study her mother’s case and help her solve the riddle. … I already got tired of this plot… blah, blah , blah… the priest named Tom gets possessed after performing the exorcism because he is the most vulnerable, he almost drowns a baby during its baptism  (talk about traumatizing). When he gets home he cuts his veins and then as the cops come looking for him he disarms one and takes his gun and offs himself. The demon goes to Isabella who is taken to the hospital for shock and then kills a nurse. The other priest and Michael steal Isabella and they are taking her somewhere to perform a rushed exorcism. However in the car Isabella goes demon on their asses and they crash…. Let’s just say there is going to be a part two.  Oh and mark my words it will have something to do with Fr. Ben’s uncle and how he prolly killed him .. Well it will be about him no doubt. Apart from the obvious problems with this movie including the bad ending, the decidedly shoddy camera work, the less than thrilling scenes and the too obvious plot this movie wasn’t all bad. It could have stared Kristen Stewart! Furthermore what the fuck is up with the posters with the scary nun? She didn’t have more than 2 seconds of screen time and it was really stupid to put her as poster (actually good marketing strategy but false advertising.) ….. Let’s just say this movie fell way below par. 
...Bolingbroke...

Man In The Dark by Paul Auster *lots o spoilers*

August Brill, the main character, is recovering from a car accident in his daughter's home, Miriam. His granddaughter, Katya, is also staying there. Not only are the three characters linked through blood, but also pain through loss. August lost his wife to cancer, Miriam's husband left her for another woman, and Katya blames herself for the murder/execution of her ex-boyfriend. Depression city.

Katya, a film student, rents DVD's and watches them with August. They then analyze them, and I give much credit to Paul Auster here for making that scene in the book jump out. I want to watch what they watched, exactly how Katya describes it. Miriam consults her already published father on a piece she has been working on. Who does August turn to? Himself.

An insomniac, August keeps himself company each night by telling himself stories. One and the only one we are told in detail, is about an alternate world where September 11th never happened, but instead there is a civil war in America. We find out through Augusts fictional characters that he has been contemplating suicide. We are pulled out of it when his murderer/redeemer is killed. Katya comes into his room one night to talk and find out more about her grandmother. There we find out how and when August fell in love with Sonia, Miriam's mother, Katya's grandmother, Augusts wife. Circle! And this part, the Sonia era of the book is the saving grace. Almost. Katya falls asleep, birds begin to chirp as dawn approaches and Miriam enters the room. Breakfast time, Dad. Some we'll-get-through-this, life-goes-on speech and then the end.

There were some very heartfelt scenes, such as the Sonia parts, but I resented Augusts story for taking up so many pages from a very short 180, story. I would have preferred to have gotten to know Miriam more. Yes there was a "poetic" tie from Augusts real and fictional world, but I couldn't care less because it bored me. It just wasn't powerful enough to be relevant while reading it. I hate to make the comment, because this is the only work by Mr. Auster that I've read, but any reference to 9/11 is bound to be picked up by someone aka semi-instant hit. Again, yes, it was a crucial part to the story, and here's more spoilers, because Katya's ex-boyfriend, Titus is killed in Iraq. Not as a soldier, but a truck driver who was at the wrong place at the wrong time. And still, it's a detail that could have been replaced by something else. This family is the epitome of fail. Everything is collapsing around then it seems. There are also recollections out of nowhere to the Jewish Holocaust that felt absentmindedly thrown in. It just didn't make sense, it seems as if it was just a collection of stories that were started & just but in one very short book. Totes didn't like the book.

~Salinger

Man in the Dark

Man in the Dark by Paul Auster, was one of the novels that my friend E, had let me borrow and let me just say that I loved it. The plot is about a man who in his old age has lost the love of his life, is living with his recently divorced daughter and his grieving granddaughter. He has insomnia and to keep his thoughts at harbor he tells himself stories to make the time go quicker. He lies in his bed and attempts to make time fly, by creating another world, another him and another life.  In his other world things changed and time because circumstantial. In the daytime he is spared from his thoughts and focuses his energy on his granddaughter as they watch foreign films and she loses herself into the stories to escape her pain. The story is told from first person point of view and Auster delivers something beautiful in a very short, but moving novel. This book is about what happens when you’re left alone in the dark with your thoughts, with nothing to distract you from the realness of life but your own imagination.  How when you’re at this point in your life the only thing you want is comfort, someone to love and to share happiness and sadness and the realness of life.

I read this book because E asked me too. Now I’m going to read it again because I simply loved it. I  even asked Salinger to put aside her book projects for the moment and read this, because it’s simply beautiful. I love that its short and told in a Kiss of the Spider Woman way. Incorporated with snippets of a different story in one interwoven delicate beauty, where realism and fantasy coexist harmoniously. Best of all I love the idea of being to give you a full plot summary without spoiling any of it. There are still many surprises left. I absolutely loved it and think everyone should read it. 

...Bolingbroke...

The Corrections

The Corrections by Jonathon Franzen was my latest conquest in my literary frenzy. The book was well written and it was full of all the emotional bustle to keep you hungry for more. The novel was recommended to me by a friend, and she told me to read to it and insert myself in the post modern literary movement. instead of reading a fiction novel bursting at the seams with political babble and pushing other movements in my face while I am just trying to enjoy a novel. i was graciously relieved to find that it was more like a story about a family who in its weirdness come together to learn how to deal with each other for one last Christmas.
the plot is mainly the mother of the Lambert clan, trying to get her children all reunited for one last Christmas in St. Jude. Her three children are Gary: a manager and high paid investor at a bank in Philadelphia, Chip: A man who has been shamed by scandal and is trying to reorganize himself after a series of unsuccessful relationships and who gets himself into more trouble than he ought. Then there is Denise:Denise is a woman who apart from being like her father, level-headed and concentrated on work is confused about what and whom she wants. The story centers around Enid and Alfred the patriarch of the family. Enid is a woman who has lived with her seldom happy husband Alfred who is now learning to deal with Parkinson's. The novel follows each child in there own story of adulthood and we laugh and cry with them. The book took me about a week and half to read. I had a lot of distractions, anyway, the story is wonderful and it kind of reminds of Empire Falls by Richard Russo. Set in the sleepy suburb of St. Jude and with the intensive sense that you are a fly in the mind of the character you witness the rise and the fall. I loved this story, even though I complained about it. Even though it's kind of long its fun and worth the read.
...Bolingbroke...

Insidious

Insidious was by far one of the creepiest movies I have thus watched in my adult life. The movie came out last year, (read Salinger’s post for the movie details) and I really wanted to go watch it but didn’t have time. However what I got was not what I expected. Horror movies nowadays are lacking in fresh ideas and in attempts to scare, they are like Salinger briefly stated, lacking a simple underestimated technique of scare tactics. Instead of showing the audience a brandished corpse in the raw, what we got were unexpected shots of lurking demons that made you think you were crazy too. Also the demon child Idea is perfect because, demon Childs are extremely creepy. This is the only film to creep me that far out since “The Mothman Prophecies”. Killer moths are fucking scary ok, I don’t care what you think, and moths are evil! Anyway watch Insidious and rekindle your faith in the horror movie genre again.
P.S
While watching this film we were frightened by the UPS man. Say no to doorbells.

Insidious

Insidious

Director: James Wan
Writer: Leigh Whannell

Released: September 14, 2010 (TIFF - Toronto International Film Festival)
    April 1, 2011 (United States)

1 hour 42 minutes, English

Renai Lambert: Rose Byrne
Josh Lambert: Patrick Wilson
Dalton Lambert: Ty Simpkins
Foster Lambert: Andrew Astor
Cali Lambert:
Lorraine Lambert: Barbara Hershey
Elise Reiner: Lin Shaye



I saw Insidious with Bolingbroke yesterday, I wanted to watch it when it came out in theaters, but I’m cheap and will wait for movies to come out on TV. Wow! Worth the wait and I do regret not watching it in a pitch black room with ultra mega loud surround sound. I honestly think Horror movies have been getting overworked. Yes, it’s nice to see dismembered bodies and gushing blood, but, let’s not forget that beautiful and iconic scene from Halloween where Jamie Lee Curtis is facing the camera, shadows behind her, and then suddenly Michael Myers’ mask slowly appears. Genius, it still takes my breath away. This movie, goes back to that.

Simple, with the right lighting, and best of all, no DMX songs to accompany any (there weren’t) chase scenes. There was a Tiny Tim song though. I actually screamed, girl screamed, twice or thrice. This is the first Horror movie to do so since I saw Chuckie back in my youth. Murderous dolls are freaky, mmkay?  Taking this from Wikipedia - “ ‘Steve O’Brien from WCBS-FM says “Most Terrifying Film since The Exorcist.” Normally I would agree, but having recently gotten over my “never-watching-The Exorcist-alone” thing, I realized, it’s small potatoes in the scare category. Acting, camera work, it’s all there, but it just doesn’t scare me anymore, in fact it‘s quite revolting, which is why I watch it when I cook. ;]

Back to Insidious. This movie is about the Lambert family who have recently moved into a new home. There’s Renai and Josh, mother and father to Dalton, Foster and Cali. A quick summary: while exploring the attic, Dalton Lambert climbs a ladder, is frightened by something he see’s in the shadows and falls down, he then screams bloody murder. Renai and Josh run to him, console him and then see him to bed. In the morning Josh tries to wake him up but Dalton is unresponsive. He has entered a comatose state that doctors can’t explain the reason for. Three months later Dalton is moved back into the house and then things start to really get weird. A priest, ghost hunters and psychic are brought in. Ghosts, demons, evil. Will it all go away, will the Lambert family be safe? Watch the movie and find out.

Things I didn’t like: I do and don’t like the lighting in this movie. It’s very dark and that adds to the tension, but during high action scenes where all you can see is a bit of shirt moving to and fro…it leaves a lot to the imagination. Is that what the director wanted? One review said the second half of the movie wouldn’t be able to live up to the first, not true for me. It was the third part of the movie, actually, more like the last quarter. The ending was good, but it could have been better. You get a slap when it could have just gone and knocked you out. There was a bit of reality stretching, but I didn’t mind it. And I believe that’s all that irked me. This really was a great movie.

~Salinger

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

I have a confession to make. Come closer, a little bit closer, :cups hands over mouth: I watched the LOTR movie trilogy before picking up any of the books. Okay, another confession, I just finished reading The Hobbit. Like two days ago. =x

That having been said, I loved it. Tolkien was a genius, a true master of his craft, he honestly had a way with words. The Hobbit was more than a book, it was pure poetry from start to, to be continued.Because we all know that's not where the story ends. Bolingbroke and I, are now very anxious for the movie to come out. At the end of the year! Grr.

Sorry, sorry, I'm getting sidetracked. This first book is Bilbo Baggins' story, and if you've already seen previews, you know about all the dwarves that come to visit him. And Gandalf. This is their story. And unfortunately I can't, won't say any more. It was a very easy read, you'll have to trust me, it is good, very good.

~Salinger

The Hobbit

Eagerly waiting for this.... like crapping my pants in anticipation for it..... December 14, 2012.....

Look!! Killer Dwarves!

The Hobbit is going to be awesome..... 'Nuff said!

Drinking with Strangers by Butch Walker

In his new book Drinking with Strangers, Butch Walker manages to tell the untold story of what goes on beyond the smoke screen of music industry's biggest labels.  With a voice dripping with  brash honesty and sometimes bitter sarcasm he brings the reader into a world some of us would never otherwise know. Told from his perspective as a person who has lived and evolved through about three decades in the music business. From the glam hair bands of the late 80's to the bad goatees in the 90's all through to the punk emo bands of the millennium,  Butch goes through all those stages and develops into a successful singer/songwriter and  producer while still able to tour doing his thing and making great music.
Bolingbroke thinks: The book was a fun read, it made me laugh and it made me wonder what was the charisma about this guy. I read about this book from a blog of some artist who I randomly added on Google +. The guy was raving about Butch as a freaking genius, although i agree with him that Butch is obviously musically talented and way to smart to go back into a major record deal, I won't lie to you and tell you that he didn't also piss me the fuck off. He reminded me a lot of Robinson Crusoe, life is telling you not to do things and yet you do them anyway, come on you fucking masochist please just stop asking for torture (the Lindsay Lohan fiasco he totally asked for). As for the rest of the book I enjoyed because it was like stepping into the unknown world of rock stars, as an audience member (I am so not musically talented) it was fascinating to take a look beyond the glitz, the glam, and all the other Hollywood nonsense. BITCH PLEASE!: Read the book if your into music, you have to have to read this book, I kid you not there will be useful information and plenty of been there, done that lessons that might inspire something. I who understand nothing of musical jargon, felt inspired to write and sing something, but remembered I have a terrible voice so opted not too. End of story pick up a coffee and have YouTube on standby so you can hear Butch's stuff.. oh and side-note, "Cigarette Lighter Love Song" love it. "Tainted Angel " well check it for yourself.
...Bolingbroke...

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

As Bolingbroke already mentioned, this book was originally published as "Men Who Hate Women (Man som hatar kvinnor)." And rightly so, the bastards. This title is definitely more appropriate than GWTDT, and you will find out why once you read it. Once again, the first "scene" of the book is all Mikael Blomkvist, but the trilogy is all Lisbeth. And it really is more appealing than Men Who Hate Women, which is also why I think they changed it.
To summarize the book: Henrik Vanger receives yet another pressed and framed flower on the day of his presumably dead niece, Harriet Vanger. He has gotten one for the past 40 years since she disappeared at the age of 16. Meanwhile, Mikael "Kalle" Blomkvist is charged with libel and 90 days in prison, gaol. Little does he know, his background & underwear size is being looked into by Lisbeth Salander, an antisocial, withdrawn young woman who is cunning in her methods to acquire information. Who hires Lisbeth? Henrik, of course. Mikael must travel to Hedestad, from his Stockholm, to have one final investigation into Harriet's disappearance. Lisbeth finds herself aiding Mikael, but is she helpful or will she become a burden to Blomkvist, once she opens up and befriends him, in her own way?
This first book is absolutely crucial to go on to the next two books. You get to know each and every character, their quirks and just where they stand. You also get to travel to Stockholm, Sweden through Larsson's eyes and sense of humor. Coffee and pizza, anyone? I also have to say that this is not my favorite book out of the three. While I do love lenghtly descriptions of surroundings, sometimes it can drown you with too much information. Which goes to say that Stieg Larsson was a very good journalist with a knack at describing things. But there is far too much Blomkvist and not enough Salander and that is what brings this Bitch, Please! moment. Mikael Fucking Blomkvist, quit following your dick!
Overall: a very good read, keep going past the mind-numbing boredom that is Blomkvist, for Salander waits, yes she's waiting!, beyond the yuppy do-gooder douchebag. And believe me when I say she's worth the chase. ;]
~Salinger

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (Book)

****

Originally published "The man who hated women", Larsson's, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, is undoubtedly one of the best pieces of fiction this decade has to offer. It tells the story of Mikael Blomkvist a tarnished journalist trying to get his career back on track after a failed story gone wrong. He is hired by Henrik Vanger, an old corporate magnate, to solve a 40 year old murder of his then 16 year old niece Harriet Vanger. Before hiring the journalist they enlist the help of hacker Lisbeth Salander, an emotional distant, loner who has troubles of her own to deal with. She quickly takes over the book as Mikael's assistant, helping to catch the killer. Unbeknownst to them they are about to open Pandora's box on the whole Vanger clans most horrid and terrifying realities.
Bolingbroke Thinks: Ok so I said I would give you the premise but guess what? I've decided you really wanna know read the book or wiki it. However i will say this. I love this book, I felt and Salinger will disagree that this book was more cohesive than the rest and was a great way to introduce us to Salander who is btw fucking awesome, you don't fuck with Lisbeth. It offers a good story with a little bit of everything. The whole solving murder bit is fucking awesome as you have no clue who the fuck is the killer and when you find out your like WTF!!! NOOOO!! ... I know I was.
BITCH PLEASE! warning when you read this you will crave coffee, even if you don't necessarily like it, and maybe some 7-11 pizza. Its a quick read and a page turner. Both Salinger and I finished fairly quickly and it will leave you hooked wanting to read more of Lisbeth and hoping Berger will die.

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (og)

Bolingbroke Thinks: So my rant on the US version is mainly because I saw this first! The original swedish film is freaking amazing, although about the same running time as the US version it doesn't make you feel like you've been watching something for a decade. This film stuck to the book very well and while I did say I liked some things of the other version, you just can't compare. Noomi Rapace's costar poor lug, she totally stole the show and I want to add my favorite part of the whole damn movie. After working with Blomkvist, she decides to sleep with him and after coitus she gets up takes his blankets and says good night as if nothing and he just looks at her. Favorite part of the whole damn movie. Ridiculous I know, but my fave. Anyway, the characters are completely represented the way they are portrayed in the book. Furthermore they have an actual ending where the book finishes where its supposed while still retaining the intentional hook that Larsson leaves. Although not Salinger's fave movie or book of the series, it is sooo mine. ( I'm a sucker for starters; i.e, LOTR 1, Mummy 1, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter 1 and so on)  Bitch Please! Everyone has to rent this movie (as it is no longer in theaters) and i would also like to point out that Rapace was nominated for an Oscar for this roll! Watch this one before you watch the Swedish version, Netflix this please and then buy it and if you don't love it, I will truly be surprised. 

...Bolingbroke...

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The 2011 version of Steig Larsson's novel of the same name, stars Rooney Mara as troubled hacker Lisbeth Salander and Daniel Craig as Mikael Blomkvist. The story although running with the same premise as the book, differs in the way they present Lisbeth and Mikael. The Plot: Mikael a disgraced journalist is asked by a wealthy company owner Henrik Vanger, to investigate a 40 year old unsolved murder case. He intices Mikael by offering him the head of Wennerstrom on a platter. Lisbeth is a twenty something year old, loner who is amazing with a computer. She is paid to investigate Mikael and so becomes further entangled in his life.   The two then meet because Mikael is having a hard time figuring out some things and decides who better to hire then the one who investigated him. From here on the two work out some arrangement and solve the case.
(I left out most of the story, we'll get to it in the book post.)
Bolingbroke Thinks: That this movie was completely ehhh.... just like that. Firstly let me get out of the way what bothered me the most; the fucking music video in the beginning. Completely unnecessary it was about ten min long and in the movie theater I could swear people we're looking at each other confused as too way a girl in oil was singing the song most people have come to associate with Snow White from Shrek. Moving on, lets talk characters. Lisbeth is a emotionally distant and tough as balls crazy hacker bitch! And that's why fans of the series abso-fucking-lutely love her! Mikael is a soft -hearted but beyond competent journalist who delivers the truth. A bit of a playboy but the only heart he has broken is probably his ex-wife. Leave it to a Hollywood writer/director/producer.. whichever, to come and fuck it up. In this remake Lisbeth is portrayed as more of an emotional mess, she is softer and more needy. I don't want to blame the actors for the bad acting skills because they we're decent actors, but why Rooney, Lisbeth needs to be tougher. She can not cry when she sees Blomkvist with Berger! Thats just not done! We all know he is a philandering buffoon! And Mikael is made out too look like a shallow, semi-stupid, almost damsel in distress type. Lisbeth saves his ass twice. I am however glad that they did not add any characters that weren't from the book, and they did kill Anita Vanger, as did the original, but it irked me more the second time around. Lets talk rape. The original GWTDT had a very strong rape scene between Lisbeth and her guardian Bjurman. There are two, the first happens in his office and he forces her to give him oral sex. Very eww, in the Swedish version Lisbeth puts up a fight in the US version non whatsoever. Which irked me in the second rape scene it was not as potent as the first although the whole butt smelling thing, truly eww, too bad she didn't fart (pink eye anyone?). however she redeems herself slightly with the justice scene and its a bit better then the Swedish version. Those are some of my main annoyances with this film. But the biggest has to be the end where Lisbeth is going to give Mikael the jacket and then sees him with Erika, and tears up! WTF!!! That totally makes her look like a wuss and a pithy little girl, I SO don't approve. Daniel Craig has a lot of butt screen time it's kind of weird. Oh last thing, strangest  thing about this movie, they never mention Erika Berger's name, Barbs and I thought we we're going crazy till my wiffey corroborated that they never mention her name and she has a good amount of screen time.  Very weird.
BITCH PLEASE!
As movies go it wasn't all that bad, just fucking long. it was way slow in the beginning and then super speed-ed to the climactic bit, and then dribbled a bit till it sputtered and finally finished. I love the Swedish version of this film and no one can replace Noomi Rapace version of Lisbeth, too freaking awesome, however if you've read the book and watched the original version, its ok, there were some scenes that were a bit more explication than the Swedish version. But truth just wait for the dvd. Side note, have some coffee on standby.
...Bolingbroke....

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (US Remake)

From the beginning: a music video of liquid people singing a song, think the T1000, but this time it's some kind of black goo instead of melted metal. Why? What's the point? It was completely unrelated to the movie. Yes, its done often during opening credits, but this was just weird. Then we get Daniel Craig as Mikael Blomkvist, I read he actually gained weight for this role. Umm, seriously? He's naked in a few scenes and I would love to gain weight and not show, at all, just like him.

Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander. I praise her for also getting into her role physically, like Noomi Rapace. Her eyebrows were bleached and she does not sport a faux-hawk, thank goodness! Bolingbroke had beef with her diaper/MC Hammer pants, but I like them. As long as no one else makes them a fad.

Christopher Plummer as Henrik Vanger sucked. Totally unconvincing. His scenes felt like an overly dramatized acting class. "I acting sad now." "I am surprised." I barf.

And then there's the accents. The remake still takes lace in Sweden, and newspapers, news headlines on tv, store names is all in Sweden, except the language spoken. Except for "hej" or hi. All the actors have a fake European/Scandinavian accent, read Russian, Swedish, German and all of the above. Only Daniel Craig keeps his English accent. I felt that subtitles were needed, at times I thought they were speaking in Swedish because it was just so difficult to understand them through the fake, cheesy accents! Wtf?! It ruins the movie.

Then there is Erika Berger, or, Mikael Blomkvist's editor in Millenium/ married woman he fucks. Her name is never mentioned. Fine, okay. But then, the movie begins and you're already in the dark, Blomkvist is going to jail, and then later, much later he tells us why and how it happened.

Basically, the plot for the remake is Cliffs Notes, 3 HOURS worth!

I have major beef because, yes Blomkvist is the major character in this first movie in the series, but Lisbeth slowly takes over, not so in the remake. Lisbeth is dumbed down and just appears to be a sneaky girl with emotional issues. Blomkvist, no wait, Daniel Craig is the hotshot actor here, give him more scenes, make him smarter, make him "vulnerable" for the ladies to go "Ohhh no!" Puke! If you're going to make Mikael Fucking Blomkvist so smart, why have Lisbeth in the movie at all? Oh wait, because she IS the main character. You'll see. ;]

Lisbeth is weaker, too emotional. BITCH, please! She is not made up to be the brilliant hacker that we, the Swedish movie fans, know her to be. She kicks ass and is a feminist character! And they just killed her, no offence to Rooney Mara, she played that version mmkayish. It just doesn't hold a candle to Noomi Rapace.

Why aren't I breaking down the other characters? There aren't any. Daniel Craig stomped them out.

I didn't absolutely hate it, but it does suck a big one. I'm waiting & hoping that the other 2 movies redeem this one.

Bolingbroke's review will have a few more details on the movie.

~Salinger