HD Roundup

Quick blurbs about things I recorded from a variety of HD channels...

CAPOTE
Directed by Bennett Miller.  Written by Dan Futterman
Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Clifton Collins, Jr., Catherine Keener
2005, 114 minutes, Color, Rated R, 2.35:1

Long and reasonably engrossing, but I didn't enjoy it.  Can you still admire films you don't enjoy?  I guess so.  I mean, where is it written that you have to enjoy what's good for you?   Trouble is, I can't see how this was good for me.  Still, Philip Seymour Hoffman was really good at playing the little guy.

FIRE IN THE SKY
Directed by Robert Lieberman.  Written by Tracy Torme
Starring D.B. Sweeney, Robert Patrick, Craig Sheffer, Peter Berg, Henry Thomas, Noble Willingham, James Garner.
1993, 1109 minutes, Color, Rated R, 2.35:1 (Super 35)

This looked good in HD, but I didn't get much out of it this time around. Robert Patrick was good in it, though.  It deals with an supposed alien abduction.  Seems pretty tame and silly now compared to things like DARK SKIES and the PARANORMAL ACTIVITY flicks.  Additionally, the movie overtly cheats with the facts--Robert Patrick's character passes a lie detector test in the movie that the person in real life failed.  Good sound mix, though.  Filmed in Super 35, which usually means shot full frame and matted for theatrical presentation.  For this viewing it was matted to a 2.35:1 ratio, but I have seen it at other times opened up (that is, not widescreen).

SURVEILLANCE
Directed by Jennifer Lynch.  Written by Kent Harper and Jennifer Lynch.
Starring Julia Ordmond, Bill Pullman, Pell James
2008, 97 minutes, Color, Rated R, 2.35:1

Directed by Jennifer Lynch and starring Bill Pullman and Julia Ormond.  I saw where this was going about 10 minutes into it.  Ultimately, I didn't think it made sense.  It's a low budget film that tried to be a mind-fuck but it just doesn't work.  It's always a pleasure to see Ms. Ormond, however.  She was great in SMILLA'S SENSE OF SNOW.

TROPIC THUNDER
Directed by Ben Stiller.  Written by Justin Theroux, Ben Stiller & Etan Cohen
Starring Robert Downey, Jr., Jack Black, Ben Stiller, Steve Coogan,
2008, 107 minutes, Color, Rated R, 2.35:1

This was funny for about five minutes but is much too long and convoluted.  Robert Downey, Jr. was a hoot, however.  Tom Cruise is not funny, though.  I never need to see this again.  I'm not sure if I saw the longer unrated version, but if I did maybe the shorter theatrical version would have been better for me.

WILD, WILD WEST
Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld.  Written by S.S. Wilson, Brent Maddock, Jeffrey Price, Peter S. Seaman
Starring Will smith, Kevin Kline, Kenneth Branagh, Salma Hayek, M. Emmet Walsh, Ted Levine
1999, 106 minutes, Color, Rated PG-13, 1.85:1

I wanted to see if this was as awful as I remembered it.  It is.  As much as I like Kevin Kline, he was incredibly wrong for this.  Will Smith is okay.  Kenneth Branagh is technically good, but the character he plays is so off-putting it's hard to enjoy it.  For that matter, the entire film and setup is pretty painful so maybe no one could have made it work.  Very unfunny and not very exciting to boot.  Pointless special effects.  The best part of the movie is Salma Hayek's ass, one cheek of which is briefly shown unadorned of clothing.  I know, I know--politically incorrect to say but it's really quite nice.

AMERICA'S SWEETHEARTS
Directed by Joe Roth.  Written by Billy Crystal & Peter Tolan
Starring Julia Roberts, John Cusack, Billy Crystal, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Hank Azaria, Stanley Tucci, Christopher Walken, Alan Arkin, Seth Green, Rainn Wilson
2001, 102 minutes, Color, Rated PG-13, 2.35:1

Billy Crystal, Julia Roberts and Catherine Zeta Jones from a few years ago. I dunno, I liked it but I already forget what it was about.

BABYLON, A.D.
Directed by Mathieu Kassovitz.  Written by Mathieu Kassovitz, Eric Besnard, Joseph Simas
Starring Vin Diesel, Michelle Yeoh
2008, 90 minutes, Color, Rated R, 2.35:1

Pointless.  ELYSIUM reminded me of this movie.

GET  SMART
Directed by Peter Segal.  Written by Tom J. Astle & Matt Ember
Starring Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson, Alan Arkin, Terrence Stamp, James Caan, Bill Murray,
2008, 110 minutes, Color, Rated PG-13, 1.85:1

Had a couple of chuckles, but pretty painful.  Anne Hathaway is watchable, as always.

HANCOCK
Directed by Peter Berg.  Written by Vincent Ngo & Vince Gilligan
Starring Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman,
2008, 92 minutes, Color, Rated PG-13, 2.35:1

This was a weird movie.  It has almost NO energy and just sort of lumbers along.  It seemed much longer than its short running time would suggest.  There was probably a good idea for a movie somewhere in here.

YANKS
Directed byJohn Schlesinger.  Written by Colin Wellan & Walter Bernstein
Starring Richard Gere, Lisa Eichorn, Vanessa Redgrave, William Devane
1979, 138 minutes, Color, Rated R, 1.85:1

Richard Gere movie from 1979.  It was, um, I guess 'boring' would be the word I'm looking for.  I was interested because it was a Schlesinger film and I'm now attuned to Lisa Eichorn, but it didn't do much for me.  However, thinking about it now I want to watch it again so I guess it did something right.

THE PRINCESS DIARIES
Directed by Garry Marshall.  Written by Gina Wendkos
Starring Julie Andrews, Anne Hathaway, Hector Elizondo, Heather Matarazzo, Mandy Moore
2001, 115 minutes, Color, Rated G, 1.85:1

Ostensibly I recorded this as a movie we could watch with our young daughter, but truth be told I like Anne Hathaway.  It helps that the movie was well-made and legitimately funny.

AFTER DARK, MY SWEET
Directed by James Foley.  Written by Robert Redlin, James Foley
Starring Jason Patric, Rachel Ward, Bruce Dern
1990, 114 minutes, Color, Rated R, 2.35:1

Jason Patric, Rachel Ward, Jim Thompson story. Dark, noir-ish, and generally well made if you're in the right mood.  Murky cinematography, which is entirely fitting to the story.