The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo that played with Fire then Kicked a Hornet's Nest

In another great voting pool, "When Tron Legacy Comes out, Will you go see it?", we had a three way tie for second place, 1 person will be at the midnight showing, 1 person is gonna wait for a few weeks and 1 person thinks it's dumb or isn't there cup of tea. However, 3 of us are going to see it opening weekend, hope I see some of you there. I don't think you need to see the original, btw, to get the drift of the second one. I'm only guessing there though.

This week I'm doing a 2 part review, and the first movie is

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The movie tells the fictional story of a journalist, Mikael Blomkvist played by Michael Nyqvist, who's damn good at his job. He's at a rocky patch in his career and in his life. He is tried in court for libel and found guilty, but before he serves his sentence he's asked to solve a 40 year old "disappearing" case. While trying to solve the case he runs into a computer hacker, Lisbeth Salander played by Noomi Rapace (due to play in the Sherlock Holmes sequel and the Aliens prequel) who is a computer hacker and is a bit socially strange. The unlikely team uncover something way more then just a disappearing child case, they find out about 5-6 murders all linked starting from the 1940's to the present. Sex, Drugs and Rock n Roll ensue.

The first thing that was very refreshing was that it was a step outside of the realm I'm used to...The United States. The picture was filmed throughout a few of the Scandanavian countries and Germany. Beautiful. To see different architecture and cities (that aren't Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago) was refreshing. The environments were beautiful fillers in between the craziness of the story. The story is based on Stieg Larsson's Millenium Trilogy, which he wrote, then died without having seen them become popular. The story is sort of your run of the mill, who done it, follow the clues to the next clue type of movie, very Sevenish. Regardless of that fact you still want to find the connections to the clues and figure out who done it along with the characters.

The characters, namely Lisbeth, are very intriguing. Lisbeth is the girl refereed to in all three of the tittles The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl who Played with Fire, The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest and she isn't entirely the main character but the one you want to see the most of. As soon as you see her on the screen you just want to know about her, but you don't get much. Just her attitude, and her social ostracism. You can tell she's been through a lot, through the way she interacts with people, how she dresses and how she reacts to the "bad" guys and the "good" guys. There's a great dynamic between Lisbeth and the dominant male character, where he's the soft, sensitive, caring one and she's the cold hearted, don't take no shit, tough one.

Violent, twisted, demented...Lisbeth still comes out alive. Oh did I mention its in Swedish, with English subtitles?

The Girl Who Played with Fire

This film played off the first one great. The story however starts to get a little bit convoluted. We start learning about these Secret Agencies and government officials in cahoots within this sexual trafficking ring and how they all tie in together with Lisbeth.

I feel like this movie and the last movie don't translate into films as well as the last one. Either that or whoever translated them (not language to language but medium to medium) didn't do a very good job. The story keeps the same twisted type feel and action but started to loose me at parts in the middle. Still a great follow up to the first flick.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

The third installment and end of the story tells the conclusion of Lisbeth Sander and her involvement with a twisted government who is locked up in conspiracy and sexual perversion. Now, don't get me wrong the movie is good, but it's definitely not great. The movie is a huge exhibition and detective case which sets up the court case to finally put these sick perverts in their rightful place. Blomkvsit sets out to take down these sick government leaders who think they can do whatever they want. The exhibition might be to involved which, as i said before, may not have translated that great into a movie. The first 2 movies had the right amount of violence and action mixed in with a sick and twisted story line. I think the third movie relies on this idea of the first two, to take it to the last 20 mins of the story/conclusion. I wasn't bored by the detective talk and investigating and the rehab, but I was expecting something different.

I really liked the first one, enjoyed the second one and watched and liked the third one because it was the conclusion. The first one seems to be a separate story from the last two. The third movie uses some elements from the first but it didn't do it for me.

All in all I enjoyed the Millennium trilogy, but I really liked The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, enjoyed the The Girl who Played with Fire, and watched The Girl who Kicked the Hornets Nest to see the conclusion.

I thought of a random movie quote, see if you can guess where they're from...

1) "SUCK BRICK KID!"

2) "Lotta sap in here! Mmmm... Looks great! Little full, lotta sap."

3) "I think so but I'd have to get pretty high" "I bet you would Panama Red"

4) "You're what the French call les incompetents."

5) "Buddy the Elf whats your favorite color"

6) "Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine."

Netflix Instant Watch of the Week: Almost Heroes. This has to be on of Farley's most underrated films that most people haven't seen. Everyone's seen and Tommy Boy and Black Sheep but most people haven't seen this. Trying to beat Lewis and Clarke across the young U.S. the antics they he and Matthew Perry get into are hysterical. So many "I'm crying cause I'm laughing" moments and very easily quoted.


Netflix DVD of the week: Doubt. A very thought provoking movie with some STUNNING acting via Meryl Streep, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams (who was a slightly a new comer). At the end you will be amazed by the acting and you'll be scratching your head asking what really happened.



a little bit of movie news...

The AFI's top 10 Movies of 2010
http://www.slashfilm.com/afis-top-10-films-tv-shows-2010/#more-94017

The AV Club.com's top 15 Movies of 2010
http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-best-films-of-2010,49101/

Happy Holidays folks!

Leslie Nielsens Conviction

I LOVE IT!!! I seem to be getting a lot of hits/views on the blog, which is so amazing, I love watching the number go up. This means 1) People are just being nice and just go on my blog and keep hitting the review button or 2) People are actually reading...Thank you greatly either way.

For those of you who are visiting why not vote on the movie poll on the right there, or add a comment. Maybe you've seen the movie(s) I'm talking about or recommended or you want to let us (or me) know. Maybe you want to cry out about some of the movie news, even if you want to say I'm an idiot....I'll take it

To recap the movie poll, Out of the AFI (American Film Institute) top 5 movies of all time, which one would you like to see (or if you've seen them is your favorite)...We got a total of 3 votes (kinda weak but I'll take it) and all three of those votes were allocated to 3 different selections. It was a 3 way tie between Citizen Kane, Casablanca (My pick), and The God Father....do your part, ROCK THE VOTE!!

now for the movie review...

Conviction

Conviction is the story of a brother and sister, Betty Anne and Kenny Waters, played by Hillary Swank (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Boys Don't Cry, Million Dollar Baby) and Sam Rockwell (Safe Men, Moon, Iron Man 2), that are an inseparable duo, from rambunctious childhood to a much more complicated adulthood. Kenny is a low life, trouble maker with a little daughter and Betty Anne is a "try to do good" mother of 2 boys. Both are from a small suburban town outside of Boston. Based on a true story, a murder was committed and Kenny was pinned with the heinous act but swears up and down he's innocent. Betty Anne can't just sit around and let this injustice go on, she decides to enroll into law school and become a lawyer no matter if it tears her, her family, and even her and Kenny apart. Sibling love ensues.

Conviction, directed by first time big screener Tony Goldwyn ("Dexter", "Damages", "Justified) is based on a true events and is a big time character based movie. Acting drives the film from one scene to the next, along with the story line and dialogue, but mainly by the acting. I wanted to see this film because I'm a big fan of Sam Rockwell. He reminds me of Jeremy Piven ("Entourage", PCU, Smokin Aces) in the sense of his mannerisms and nonvocal communication. Not as jerky, abrupt or grand as Pivens, but so precise and seemingless. He nails his character, so cool but yet a bad ass, who loves himself, his sister and his daughter. His transformation throughout the film is remarkable, you watch him grow up and become a man. Hillary Swank I didn't buy at first. I feel like everyone's now trying to get into a movie where they can try to show off their "Bahstan" accent. I didn't buy hers at first, but she grew on me. She has some intense sad scenes which I felt like she may have over done, but still great. The one who stole it for me though was Juliette Lewis. (National Lampoons: Christmas Vacation, Natural Born Killers, Old School) She played an ex-girlfriend of Kenny's who testified against him at the trial. Later on they talk to her again, strung out on drugs and alcohol and the guilt of putting Kenny to jail. The 5 min scene she had revisiting the court case, mixed with a cigarette, a never ending glass of wine and whatever drugs she was on stuck with me after it was done.

The dynamic of the brother and sister, when younger and older, was captivating as well. I have a younger sister so it resonated with me pretty strongly. The play on the relationship was a key factor in the movie for me. They, being the actor/actress, the writers and director made it feel real, that this sister would spend 20 years of her life fighting for her brother. Not one of her parents, or a lover/husband, her brother and they made it believable.

A slow movie you have to committed to to get the payoff at the end. Keep a close eye on the actors/actresses and it will help.

A Tribute to Leslie Nielsen

I remember the first Nielsen movies I saw was Naked Gun 33 1/3 and it was right up my alley. Stupid, dry, simple humor, crude jokes and vulgar happenings. Leslie Nielsen will be remembered as a funny man. His characters were never to bright, but they always knew how to deliver a punch line. He passed away November 28th 2010 and left behind some of the funniest movies of all time. Ask the AFI, who voted Airplane the #10 funniest movie of all time. I'm sure Leslie Nielsen had a hand in making that movie as funny as it was, even if that hand was on a busty women's breast by accident, someone's crotch, or on his gun. Starting on a string of tv shows starting around 1950, he had rolls in some comedies some dramas, with a roll in one episode on the famed "Bonanza". He then scored a roll as the Captain in the original The Posideon Adventure, followed by a roll in one episode of the hit tv show, turned movie "M.A.S.H." After scoring a roll in a couple of episodes of both "Kung Fu" and "S.W.A.T' he made it into his first "hit" movie in The Kentucky Fried Movie which was what made him become famous. Airplane hit in 1980 which will be Nielsen's big start and his corner stone. Followed by a bunch of movies and tv shows I've never heard of, The Naked Gun series started in 1988. It was followed by a sequel in 1991 and a final chapter in 1994. His movies all had a spoof theme, and he followed that all the way to his death. His humor will be missed, but u can always pop in a VHS to feel it again.

Netflix Instant Watch of the Week: Army of Darkness. A mash up of horror and comedy, but all "its so terrible its good". Bruce Campbell is accidentally transported to 1300 A.D., where he must battle an army of the dead and retrieve the Necronomicon so he can return home. When he finds the Necronomicon its hilarious, the whole movie is hilarious.

Netflix DVD of the Week: Airplane. Leslsie Nielsen's cornerstone and the #10 funniest movie of all time according to the AFI. If you're looking for silly humor and really good one liners, spoofs out the rear end and some crude jokes this movie is for you.



now some movie news...

Tis the season....for villains
Great list of the top 5 movie villains of all time. The list comes from Metro.co.uk http://www.metro.co.uk/film/849692-the-best-christmas-movie-villains

The director from Tron 2 started doing commercials
The new director for Tron, Jospeh Kosinski, is a rookie. He hasn't done anything big screen yet but this commercials is speculated to have gotten him the spot. The commercials is very simple but you can see where producers would pull this guy in. See the commercial at Slashfilm.com http://www.slashfilm.com/watch-joseph-kosinskis-fake-iphone-commercial/#more-93694


Thanks to errbody, and my editor-in-assistant-chief Amy