Haiku Review: 15 February 2010

February 15, 2010 at 10:35 am (haiku reviews, movies)

This week I’m buckling down on what will hopefully be my last round of revisions on TDPU.  Last week I finished a short script I’m hoping to film in the next couple of months, and I’ve got another short script I’d like to write whilst planning my next feature to be written in April for ScriptFrenzy.

I’m also trying to see as many Oscar-nommed movies and read as many Oscar-nommed scripts as possible before the big night on March 2nd.  I know there are a lot of folks out there who say the Oscars don’t matter unless you’re nominated for one, or they’re not in line with what the public thinks is good, but I still enjoy them.  And I don’t know — it is a jury of one’s own peers voting, and that has to count for something I think.  Generally, I’ve found that, even if I don’t agree that the Oscar picks are the best of the best, they’re still films worth seeing.  Now, onto the Haiku Review…

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (4 stars): visual stunner / in the Gilliam archetype / I miss Heath Ledger

Dorian Gray (3½ stars): lovely to look at / a worthy adaptation / please come to the States

Adam (4 stars): an autistic man / struggles with love and himself / moves the audience

La Jetée (3½ stars): a film in still shots / mind-bending and heart-breaking / check out 12 Monkeys

Food, Inc. (5 stars): eye-opening doc / helps us make informed choices / when choosing our food

Cry-Baby (3 stars): so bad it is good / ’50s spoof with fun music / and young Johnny Depp

Charade (5 stars): murder and deceit / but Cary Grant charms us so / can Audrey trust him?

America’s Sweethearts (3 stars): a guilty pleasure / an atypical rom com / about Hollywood

An Education (3½ stars): naïve girl wants more / older man shows her the world / and opens her eyes

The Hurt Locker (4 stars): detonation team / fights against bombs, hate and angst / can’t defeat the thrill

Un Chien Andalou (3 stars): unrelated scenes / but the brain makes connections / that do not exist

New York, I Love You (3 stars): it wanted to be / charming like Paris, Je T’aime / but can’t quite get there

Valentine’s Day (2½ stars): too many stories / to tell any of them well / but some parts are fun

A Serious Man (2 stars): life is difficult / for the man in this movie / not sure of the point

Pretty Woman (3½ stars): for Valentine’s Day / iconic rom coms are good / even when single

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Haiku Review: 12 January 2010

January 12, 2010 at 10:59 am (haiku reviews, movies)

I’m tired of doing normal mini-reviews, so I’m going to try my hand at doing haiku reviews instead.  If you’d like to know what I thought about a particular movie in more detail, just ask. :-)

Arsenic and Old Lace (4 stars):  screwball comedy / with a bit of slapstick, too / Cary Grant is hot

District 9 (5 stars): men v. aliens / against odds, two join forces/ one of the year’s best

Blind Date (4 stars): a tragic story / hopeful yet melancholy / captivating leads

Nine (2½ stars): pretty to look at / A few enjoyable songs / otherwise empty

Nosferatu (3 stars): vampires are scary / and can haunt your dreams with ease / when they’re not sparkly

The General (4 stars): a silent movie / with a delightful story / and Buster Keaton

Up in the Air (4 stars): a story about / the worth of what we carry / or leave behind us

What’s Up, Doc? (3 stars): Barbara Streisand / plays a screwball heroine / who gets what she wants

Kill Bill Vol. 2 (5 stars): revenge fantasy / and unknown consequences / not for claustrophobes

Statuesque [short film] (4 stars): Neil Gaiman directs / a short, silent film about / statues come to life

Avatar (4 stars): we’ve seen this before / but it’s still a good story / with gorgeous visuals

Shaun of the Dead (4 stars): a zombie movie / that spoofs but has lots of heart / Simon Pegg is great

The Bicycle Thief (2 stars): black, white, and silent / an Italian classic film / I hate the ending

Rebel Without A Cause (4 stars): a James Dean movie / that was surprisingly great / holds up against time

The First Wives Club (2½): so-so comedy / about fed-up ex-spouses / who get their revenge

Leap Year (2½): guilty pleasure film / rom-com clichés left and right / Ozymandias

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