blog of a smelly hipster

I'm attempting to go through a list of movies I have seen and write reviews in 140 characters or less. It's harder than you think. After a few reviews I realized I over use some words. I kept trying to make each review unique, while still trying to describe the message of the film and what I thought about it.

I consider myself a novice (maybe intermediate) movie buff, so there are many elements within one movie that I may like or dislike. For instance, I wasn't crazy about Dan In Real Life, but I am in love with Sondre Lerche (who drives the soundtrack and cameos as the wedding singer at the end of the film). So by trying to condense each review into 140 characters while trying to be thoughtful is a challenge for me.

Without further ado, here is part one of what I hope is an on-going series. (Listed alphabetically.)


10 Things I Hate About You: Based on Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew, this version was diluted for teenagers but is still charming, mostly accredited to Ledger.

28 Days Later: Anger is a contagious and fatal disease. A great take on the genre by introducing spastic zombies. Great soundtrack & acting.

30 Days of Night: Vampires take over a small Alaskan town & townsfolk fight back with stiff acting. The movie falls short of Neils vision & Templesmith's art.

40 Year Old Virgin: Apatow's honest and goofy comedy doesn't disappoint. Balancing raunchy jokes, nerdy references, and genuine sweetness. A winner all the way.

50 First Dates: Sandler's silly rom/com about making Barrymore fall in love with him daily is swoon-worthy-- especially for the Cure centered soundtrack.

300: Visually mesmerizing, yet easy to forget. This adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel doesn't do Sparta justice in the long run.

Across the Universe: This beautifully visual film attempts to capture the spirit of the 60s; using Beatles songs as a vehicle for plot, which is a bit deflated.

Adaptation: Kaufman never fails to be both captivating & awkward. Apparently Nick Cage can act. Jonze weaves fictional & factual realities seamlessly.

Amelie: Colorful, imaginative, & quirky, Jeunet delivers the love story of two day-dreamers, propelled by the subtle performance of Audrey Tautou.

American Beauty: Growing up is a lot like growing old: confusing. Spacey is deliciously smarmy, though the film itself is often pretentious & heavy-handed.

American History X: The past is black & white & the present color like a grim version of the Wizard of Oz; showing hatred is fruitless & the past indelible.

American Psycho: Before Tyler Durden there was Patrick Bateman. Depicting the excess of Wall Street & the 80s, this satire is both funny and suspenseful.

Anchorman: Fantastically cast, this comedy provides the best quotes and random gags. The plot may ebb, but the audience is laughing too hard to notice.

Audition: Dating is so difficult, especially when the women you meet are crazy. This Japanese horror starts off slow then takes a quick turn to chaos.




That's it for part one. See you for part two!