I went to a playoff game at my college yesterday, and now my voice is dead. Yay, collegiate sports!
Wag the Dog (1997): This is one of those movies where you desperately hope the premise could not actually play out in real life, but where you're secretly frightened that it could happen. Like Network before it, Wag the Dog skewers the media pretty well; there's a battle between finding the facts and finding a good story, and often the media will go after the latter unhesitatingly, which makes them little more than cheerleaders in the context of the movie. I also like the device of the president's face never really being seen -- it gives off the impression that, ultimately, even he doesn't matter that much, and it's the people behind the scenes spinning popular perception of the president who have the true power.
The Naked Gun (1988): Been so long since I watched it that it may as well be my first time seeing the movie! Anyway, not much to say except that it's still a hilarious movie. Leslie Nielsen was one of the best around at playing deadpan. He'll be missed. By the way, I thought it would be kind of awkward watching O.J. Simpson in the movie, but it turns out that he is in excruciating pain the whole time, so it's OK!
Dirty Work (1998): I think you'll only find this funny if you love Norm Macdonald and you are on the same wavelength as his bizarre sense of humor. I think Norm is hilarious, so I laughed a lot. Particularly love Norm shamelessly giving his character certain traits so that he can use his "note to self" bits from when he was the Weekend Update anchor on Saturday Night Live. Also, Natalie from Monk is in it! So random.
8mm (1999): A solid movie, but my god is it difficult to watch. (Which shouldn't be surprising, considering the movie is penned by the same dude who wrote Seven.) I do appreciate that the movie doesn't settle for being a sleazy thriller and has its protagonist grapple with some tough moral choices. And Nicolas Cage definitely plays to the level of the script and is generally good.
On the queue for this week: The Wicker Man (2006) (I have to see how bad it is; it just keeps calling out to me)
Total Movies: 45 (Blazing Saddles, The Descent, Gundam 00 the Movie: Awakening of the Trailblazer, Village of the Damned, Children of the Damned, Trigun: Badlands Rumble, The Night of the Hunter, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha the Movie 1st, Dawn of the Dead, Black Swan, Clue, Scarface, Dracula: Sovereign of the Damned, True Grit, Perfect Blue, The Quick and the Dead, High Sierra, Shutter Island, A Serious Man, Kite, The Manchurian Candidate (1962), Broken Blade 3, Kite Liberator, Machete, The Manchurian Candidate (2004), Heathers, The Prince of Tennis: The Two Samurai, The First Game, Notes on a Scandal, The American, King of Thorn), The Expendables, Sword of the Stranger, The Hangover, Welcome to the Space Show, Broken Blade 4, The Social Network, End of Evangelion, Neo Tokyo, Red, Dreamcatcher, Jason X, Wag the Dog, The Naked Gun, Dirty Work, 8mm)
