grrgoyl

Tery is still in Connecticut, so you know what THAT means....I'm watching lots and lots of movies. Most can be summarized fairly quickly, but there are a lot of them.

( ::Æon Flux:: ) In summary, better than expected, a reasonably entertaining 93 minutes -- although I certainly could have done without Pete Postlethwaite with coyly bared shoulders in a futuristic muu-muu. 3 out of 5

( ::The Number 23:: ) It might have been better (and made more sense) if we hadn't had to pause the movie 23 times. And Jim Carrey is kind of sexy as a bad-ass. 2 out of 5

On Sunday I watched a series of horror...things, each scarier than the last.

( ::The Host:: ) Okay, I'll admit it: I had a hard time staying awake through this one. cmpriest paid much closer attention, perhaps you should read her take for a much more in-depth (but spoilery) look. 1.5 out of 5

( ::The Wicker Man:: ) For all the great acting and fantastically creepy atmosphere, I saw the ending coming a mile away, which is a shame because it would have been a good one had I not been so world-weary and jaded. 2 out of 5

I watched the season premiere of Torchwood, which looks like a BBC X-Files, except you actually get to see monsters (say what you will about the cheesy way the rest of the show was shot, but their monster effects are top notch). There's a scene where she's walking down a long corridor towards a....man-shaped thing. His head looks just a little off, but it's too blurry and far away to tell. She slowly gets closer and closer, and he slowly comes into view, and let me just say it's one of the creepiest fucking things I've seen on TV in a long, long time.

Until, at Jeffy's insistence, I tracked down a Doctor Who episode from the newest series with David Tennant, "Blink," on YouTube. Creatures called the "Weeping Angels" have invaded London. As long as someone is looking at them, they turn to stone and appear to be statues from a cemetery. But the second you blink or turn your back, they come to life and attack you. Good fucking Christ. I watched this at about midnight....big mistake. Before going to bed I locked my balcony door (we live on the third floor). Only one other movie has ever made me lock the balcony door (it was The Relic -- I know, not a landmark horror movie, but the conditions just happened to be right to freak me out sufficiently). Actually it was ludicrous to lock the door, since our house is full of gargoyles so technically the danger was inside, but the best horror material is the stuff that inspires utter irrationality in otherwise intelligent individuals.

Before the horror, I accompanied the shimmering dopshoppe to see ( ::Superbad:: )

I enjoyed this far more than Knocked Up. My crush on Michael Cera has grown deeper than ever (even though dopshoppe thinks it might be more than a little wrong to love a boy his age). But Judd Apatow still seems far too preoccupied with male sex organs for my liking. And I felt the cops living a second adolescence with their new friend McLovin might have gone on just a bit too long. Still, worth a chuckle. 2.5-3 out of 5

Last but not at all least, just today I discovered Netflix's instant watching feature (I knew about it, but didn't realize it came free) and I selected ( ::The Darwin Awards:: )

This movie is amusing, at times hilarious, from start to finish, and has Joseph Fiennes employing my very favorite device, (anyone? guess?) the voice-over narration, Fight Club style. I immediately ran to Hollywood Video hoping to score a used copy. Too soon I guess, so I got it online. I think it might be the best movie I watched all weekend. 4.5 out of 5