Movies-n-Stuff

So, our good friend Amelia came up from Tampa town this weekend and we did some stuff and drove around a bit. We went to a Cuban themed birthday party and ate some fat sandwiches at a restaurant called Fat Sandwich. Then we sat around for little bit.

I also found about this place called the library. They let you check out movies for FREE!

It's almost like Netflix, except cheaper, not as good of a selection and you still have to pick up and drop off the movies, which I may be able to get out of, if I can convince Leslee to do it for me.

Movies watched:

Irma Vep

MASH (1970)

The Prestige

The Stranger (1946)

What The Bleep Do We Know

Night and The City (1950)

The Bank Dick (1940)

Movies Re-watched:

Barton Fink

Junebug

6 in. Golden Sandwich – This is a very thin sandwich.
1 Ft. Golden Sandwich – This sandwich is also very thin, but slightly fatter than the previous thin sandwich.

2 Ft. Golden Sandwich – This sandwich is somewhat thin, but after you finish eating it, all you'll need is an after-sandwich mint, or a pickle spear to tide you over.

3 Ft. Golden Sandwich – I would call this sandwich "plump" or "thick", but I wouldn't want it to be offended.

4 Ft. Golden Sandwich – You need about a two hour post sandwich nap-time for this one.

5 Ft. Golden Sandwich – This is THE Fat Sandwich (from Fat Sandwich on Railroad and Gaines in Tallahassee, Fl. – 850-222-5505)

Irma Vep:

This is an interesting film. It's French with a Chinese main character and is about a film crew doing a remake of a real (in real life) silent film, "Les Vampires" from 1915. There's not much of a plot, it's more of a day in the life of these people. The has-been director brings in a female star from China that the make-up girl ends up having a crush on, but then the director ends up having a nervous breakdown. It's really like a multi-lingual Robert Altman film.

3 Ft. 6 Inches of Golden Sandwich

MASH (1970): Speaking of Robert Altman films. Holy crap! This is pure genius. I can't believe I've never seen it before. I think I always thought that it was going to be just like the TV show, and I had seen so much of the TV show that I didn't really have to bother seeing the movie, but man was I wrong. Set in Korean War, it's really just about a bunch of surgeons trying to have a good time in the middle of a war. A lot of it is just chaotic, but that's where all of the humor comes from. It makes so much sense that they made a TV show out of this movie.

5 Ft. of Golden Sandwich (I think this is my first five footer!)

The Prestige:

So Leslee and I are a couple in deep turmoil. I say "The Prestige" is better than "The Illusionist", and she says the opposite. I'm right, though, just so you know… and that would make her wrong.
Anyways, it's hard not to compare the two. The Prestige is simply a better made movie and that matters a lot to me. Leslee claims there is a little more mystery with The Illusionist. I do agree that there should be a little more mystery at the end of both movies. They are wrapped up a little too tight. If they threw a Lynchian style ending in there, I would be much happier, but then they wouldn't sell nearly as many tickets.
To me it comes down to the directing. Christopher Nolan is just simply a better director than what's his face. Period. Also, Michael Caine rules.
Plus, there's more in "The Prestige" than just magic. Other things happen, none of which I can speak of.

3 Ft. 6 Inches of Disappearing Sandwich

The Stranger (1946):

I watched a few "oldies" this week. I've been in that kind of mood lately. This stars and was directed by Orson Welles. It also stars Edward G. Robinson, see…and Loretta Young. It's about a Nazi in hiding (Welles), who suspiciously has no accent at all, and the guy (Robinson) who, in his free time, enjoys chasing Nazis around. So, anyway, this nazi is living in this nice little American city, and has gotten a nice young lady (Young) to fall in love with by using his evil Nazi come hither look. So, some stuff happens and the Nazi hunter, eventually gets some stuff straightened out and there may be a death or two. It's pretty alright.

3 Ft. 6 Inches of Golden Sandwich

What the Bleep Do We Know:

Apparently, I didn't know anything…and on top of that, now I have a headache.

2 Ft. 6 Inches of Golden Sandwich that may or may not exist, depending on whether you are looking at it or not.

Night and The City: This was a library find. It's a Criterion Collection release, which always means Koala-ty. A film noir about a slimy conman who comes this close (that doesn't quite work in writing does it) to being a big wig in the boxing promoting scene in London. But, since he's a screw-up, he screws things up. Richard Widmark plays this loser perfectly. He doesn't do anything good throughout the whole movie and somehow you are still rooting for him. Maybe it's because you see some of the people who love him and you want him to do good for them. I don't know. It's definitely worth a watch, though. There are some great extras on the DVD, too.

4 Ft. of Black and White Sandwich

The Bank Dick: Another library find, and also a Criterion Collection release. This is known as one of WC Fields best movies. WC Fields was a very funny guy. You can see his influence in everyone from Peter Sellers to Chris Farley and many others. My only problem is that, when I watch this movie, between the laughs, all I can think about is how white it is. There was one "minority" in the whole movie. It was a black guy, standing behind WC Fields in line at the bank, Fields sees him and does a very startled jump and steps aside. Now, I feel like I wouldn't have noticed how white the movie really is if they hadn't put that scene in. Anyways, if you only like white people, you'll probably like this movie.

3 Ft. of Golden Sandwich

Coming Up in the Queueueueue:

35 Up

Mean Streets (Which I have never seen and am very excited about)

The Times of Harvey Milk

Kung Fu Zombie

Heavy Metal Parking Lot (of which I am also very excited)

Sore Losers

42 Up

Library finds:

Fritz Lang's M. (1931)

Rififi (1955)

First Season of MASH