The Filmcake

January 4th – January 10th

Kill Bill Vols. 1 & 2 – While the second volume drags a little bit at times, this Tarantino epic is SO, SO, SO much fun. Sure, much like Inglourious Basterds it is self-indulgent. But it’s self-indulgence with a great deal of taste, an eye for the bad-ass, and a reverence for his women. Whenever I have some time, I’d like to delve into some of the films that inspired this one and Basterds.

Arrested Development (TV) First Season — I’m only about six years late, but I have finally seen the first season of the critically lauded Arrested Development. My problem with watching stuff (TV or movies) is that I MUST watch it in its entirety. Unless I watch something from the beginning all the way to the end, it hasn’t been watched. So, I can’t start watching a TV series unless I start with the first episode and commit to it for the long haul. A friend recently loaned us the entire series on DVD, so we leaped in and watched the entire first season this past week.

The show is absolutely hilarious. I doubt that any previous TV series has made me laugh out loud quite as much as this one. The cast is wonderful. Will Arnett certainly now has one more devoted fan. And, Portia de Rossi has one more male admirer. And, yes, I’m aware that she’s a lesbian. Why is it that all the good ones are gay?

I’d say the first quarter of the season started out a bit frantic. There was so much going on–so many asides and little gags–that it was starting to get a little exhausting (a little too Family Guy at times). But, the last three-quarters of the season were solidly paced.

Up in the Air – I’m still a little undecided on this one. It’s a solid, polished movie from Jason Reitman that maintains some ambiguity by refraining from answering all the questions it poses and by refusing to tie up all its loose ends. I love that about a movie. The possibility of multiple interpretations is usually a certain asset. Nevertheless, there was something about this movie that seemed incomplete. I’m not sure if it was me wanting more Ryan Bingham, or less Ryan Bingham but more Alex and/or Natalie. Clooney, Vera Farmiga, and Anna Kendrick were all great…as was the screenplay. I haven’t put my hand on it, but I left this movie wanting just a little more. I’ll have to come back to it on DVD to see how well it holds up on a second viewing.

Jack Frost – The 1996 movie featuring a killer snowman, NOT the Michael Keaton family film from two years later. This one isn’t quite a cult classic, although it may be a Christmas cult classic (for us at least). It’s bizarrely funny, knowingly campy, and a good amount of fun. The special effects aren’t so much primitive as they are nearly non-existent (e.g. puddles of water). This movie is pretty bad, but I don’t think I’d be going out on a limb by saying that I’d guess it’s a lot more watchable than the Michael Keaton film.