BoPL » Films

Monsters vs Aliens

Paul — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 18:12:40 +0000

We all went to see Monsters vs Aliens today because, well, it’s called Monsters vs Aliens. What’s not to like? Well it turns out the film is what’s not to like. Great voice work, sadly drowned out by the constant dull thud of dead punchlines, plus animation that at times barely looked one dimensional, let alone the 2 we’d paid for or the three that is available in some places (though at other spots it was truly great), meant that I spent way too much time wondering when I could have my next candy.

The kids loved it though, so I recommend sending the smallest number of parents you can get away with.

Paul Newman

Paul — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 14:32:41 +0000

Sorry to see you go.

Emotional Rollercoaster

Paul — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 08:37:18 +0000

How to mess with a film fan’s dreams in two sentences by announcing a new film:

Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins…

Cool – not high art, but likely to be a fun couple of hours

…features Batman Begins star Christian Bale as rebel leader John Connor.

YES! Christian Bale rocks!

Charlie’s Angels director McG will take the helm on the movie

NOOOOOOO!!!!!

We need bears…

Paul — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 10:06:35 +0000

… lots of bears

(HT: Neatorama)

Episode 3

Paul — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 10:43:44 +0000

I watched the final (or third of six, depending on how you’re counting) Star Wars movie last night. I hope it was the final one, anyway, because I couldn’t not watch any follow-up, and if it’s as woeful as that was…

I now want to say “on the upside”, but I can’t think of one. Oh wait, I thought General Grievous was good, and made Jar Jar Binks look like Jar Jar Binks. But aside from that it was abysmally scripted, badly played (though quite what more could be expected from the actors I don’t know), and even the effects didn’t work; they were technically impressive, but they didn’t convince me that anything was real (except for the aforementioned General, who seemed to have some real weight.

Fortunately I have a remedy lined up, in the form of the original trilogy that my kids need introducing to. Now I just need to decide on regular or special edition.

Yippee-kay-ay

Paul — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 11:23:41 +0000

Here’s a great video inspired by the Die Hard movies. I think this quote sums up the entire movies (Alan is the big-boned copper from the first two movies):

And we know what the basic gist is.
There ain’t no Alan, and it’s not Christmas.
We don’t know but we’re pretty sure that
John McClane kicks ass.

My Favourite Movie

Paul — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 08:37:24 +0000

I’m sure you’re all just dying to know, so in the interests of a good night’s sleep for all it’s The Matrix. I know, it’s not something worthy like The Killing Fields, arty like Lost In Translation, or even traditionally great like Citizen Kane. Good films all, but when I’m sat at home and have an unquantifiable need for something to watch, Keanu wins the day.

I was reminded of this today (yes I’m watching it now to cheer myself up after endless build problems) when I realized I hadn’t listened to the commentary track. I started it off, but switched it off after barely a minute – I’m sure it’s very good, but I was missing the film.

Oh, and for me it has one of the greatest lines certainly in an action film, on the roof of the office block where Morpheus is held prisoner: “Dodge this”. Man, I can already feel the testosterone flowing, and not just because of the vinyl jumpsuit.

Random Trivia

Paul — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 21:22:23 +0000

Just watching ’12 Monkeys’, during which Bruce Willis says “All I see are dead people”.

Wash

Paul — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 20:09:21 +0000

I tend to avoid these things, but hey, it’s Firefly/Serenity.

I am Wash (Ship Pilot)

Wash (Ship Pilot)		80%
Malcolm Reynolds (Captain)		70%
Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command)		65%
Dr. Simon Tam (Ship Medic)		65%
Jayne Cobb (Mercenary)		30%
Derrial Book (Shepherd)		30%
Alliance		25%
Kaylee Frye (Ship Mechanic)		20%
River (Stowaway)		20%
Inara Serra (Companion)		15%
A Reaver (Cannibal)		0%

You are a pilot with a good
if not silly sense of humor.
You take pride in your collection of toys.
You love your significant other.

Click here to take the Serenity Firefly Personality Test

Update: Apparently Serenity is the best Science Fiction film ever. And that’s from an official poll of people who don’t get out much, so you know it’s true.

I’ll see your bacon number and raise you…

Paul — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 19:47:04 +0000

..an Erdős–Bacon number. Paul Erdős was a mathematician who published some 1,500 papers with 509 different collaborators, in some way paralleling the prolific career of Kevin Bacon. As with the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game that gives actors a Bacon number according to the number of co-stars required to link them to Mr Bacon, published academics can be assigned an Erdős number.

Still with me? Then here’s the cool bit. There are a number of academics who have made small cameo appearances in movies, mostly in recognition of advice they have given. But there are a small number of ‘proper’ actors/actresses who have also co-authored academic papers. The two most notable are Natalie Portman and Danica McKellar. In case you’re stuck, McKellar was Winnie Cooper in The Wonder Years. She was rather attractive then; in fact if you are male and currently aged between 30 and 40 I’d hazard that you either had a crush on her or you didn’t have a TV. And now…well let’s just say that it doesn’t matter if you’re male or female, she’s smoking hot. She’s also the McKellar of the Chayes-McKellar-Winn Theorem