say goodnight to a closing skyline

Yes, I will probably be watching New Moon. Not because I’m highly invested in the Twilight series, but mostly because the trailer looked so horrible, that it seems like it might be a fantastic spectacle to behold. And although I know Rob Pattinson isn’t in this one as much, I love seeming him completely stripped of any trace of masculinity. It makes me giggle.

The Invention of Lying (2009)
Directed by: Ricky Gervais, Matthew Robinson Written by: Ricky Gervais, Matthew Robinson
Starring: Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Tina Fey, Rob Lowe, Jeffrey Tambor, Jonah Hill

Oh gosh, I feel so bad saying this, because I love Ricky Gervais, but this was a serious bomb. And why? I think this is due to the fact that Ricky Gervais is not only writing, and starring, but directing. It seems as though he felt even more of an obligation to further his usual dry, subtle humor, which ends up falling flat. Subtlety has to be played just so, in a subtle way, and when you push that, it just cancels itself out and becomes boring. Jennifer Garner lacked any comedic touch, and Tina Fey was just her normal Liz Lemon self with an extra sharp edge due to the fact that she can’t lie. Interesting story, but sadly not executed well. I would say see it if you’re really intrigued by the idea, but this film definitely does not know what emotions to prey on with the audience, and is bipolar to say the least. Darn.

My rating: 2.5/5

(via flickflickflicker)

Every Little Step (2008)
Directed by: Adam Del Deo, James D. Stern

I guess by now, you can tell that I love me some documentary. I also love me some dance. And singing. And performing. So therein lies the biased reason why I adored this doc. Although I’d probably put A Chorus Line at the bottom of my favorites musicals (probably due to the cheesy 70’s music that I never got into, and the I don’t know…just don’t dig it), this could have been about any musical and still have been interesting. It kept pace well, starting in the auditions process, than working up to spotlighting individual performers who got final callbacks and what not. Very similar to the plot of the musical itself, Every Little Step is a fascinating behind the scenes look into how much work goes into presenting something amazing on Broadway.

My rating: 3/5

thenewromantic:twiddledee:

Starz Inside: Bloodsucking Cinema (2007)
Directed by: Barry Gray

Once again, Starz Inside has another truly interesting, and short but sweet documentary offered on Netflix Instant watch (which you really should subscribe to if you like film). This one, probably most cliche, is about vampires, but not once does it mention Twilight, True Blood, or any other recent vampire flick/tv show. Possibly, this is due to it being made in 2007, but it still focuses on the richer, earlier vampire films that shaped the horror genre. Christopher Lee, Bela Lugosi, and many others are venerated in this doc, and rightly so! Also learned a few films to see that I’d never heard of before, so this is definitely a great watch for someone looking to explore the vampire genre, and find older films to check out!

My rating: 3/5