Netflix: The Brave Little Toaster (1987)

The Brave Little Toaster

I have this regular occurance in my life where people will express massive outrage at my having not seen a particular movie. Most of them, I can totally understand - Rear Window, Casablanca, Citizen Kane -- these are all classics and really should be seen because they are so excellent. I was a little surprised when a few peeps were particularly adamant that I see this one. I mean, I'd heard of it, but it was never huge on my radar back in the 80's. I was in a huge music phase back then, buying up cheap vinyl at Second Hand Tunes, precluded by totally wearing out my copy of The Cure's Head on the Door. I just wasn't too much into going to the cinema.

This is such a cute movie. Very simple and silly, for the most part. And then! In the middle, it gets all sorts of weird and surreal and screwed up and EVIL, and it sort of stays that way until the very end. In fact, I was really not sure what sort of movie this was until I got to the plot resolution, because you really just don't know if everything's going to turn out to anyone's satisfaction.

The disc I received is of a version that's very no-frills, even though there is a nice little making-of documentary (with a little too much focus on the resulting sequels and such). The biggest thing I noticed was the transfer quality - I almost felt a little motion sickness at the beginning title cards because it was as if they had chosen the most rickety projector and dirtiest print, and then aimed a mediocre-quality camera at the screen to record it for digital format. Ugh. It seemed to steady up as the movie continued, but I really regret not being able to see this in better color and resolution. The style was so fun and consistent that it would've been nice to see it close to its original glory. Ah well.

I heart Blanky sooooooo much. SO. MUCH.

13 Going On 30 (2004)

13 Going On 30

I do like Jennifer Garner, even though lots of people think she's sort of odd-looking and therefore difficult to watch.

That said, this is a pretty fluffy and silly movie. And yet, I really kinda liked it.

Sure, there's lots of stupidity, and the character development and ideas presented are pretty high concept. But for the first time, I got to experience a movie pretty much marketed directly at me, and it was sort of enjoyable to catch all the little references to 80's stylee and the attempt to bring them into the present time as some sort of conceptual bridge.

I dunno. Like I said, high concept. But dude, the party scene for the magazine when Jenna goes out on the floor? I was laughing my ass off. Totally fun.

This movie features a semi-fun semi-cringeworthy appearance by Andy Serkis. Heh.

Rounders (1998)

Rounders

What a great movie for Matt Damon. Really. I like that guy. I like his acting - his sense of humor is wry and sharp, and I especially like how he is totally able to let other performers have moments, all while still possessing his own emotional life and action. Good stuff.

This movie is incredibly quotable, especially after chatting with thajinx about it (Jinxie contains libraries of quotes in his head, though. Very impressive, and scary). John Malkovich is just hysterical and over-the-top and so incredibly hammy that he transcends ham and circles right back around again to being awesome. What a freak show he is - and I mean that with affection.

This is a well-built story, with good pacing (and I do mean that, even with slower moments, which happen to enhance the storytelling. Gosh, I wish people would trust more in those slower moments. It feels like a lost art sometimes). I think a good deal of my enjoyment of the movie has come from having to learn Texas Hold 'Em when I played the Last Call Poker ARG last year. Watching for tells, feeling that tension of cards and personality weaving themselves together so tightly ... Yeah. Good stuff.

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