Sunday, November 4, 2012

Sunday Nightcap 11/4/12 Cartoon-a-palooza

We survived the storm that was Hurricane Sandy and we are trying to get back to normal. I have no words to express anything. I am praying for those with losses, hoping never to see anything like this again and thanking whomever or whatever that I and my family and friends are mostly unscathed (or what passes for it in these here parts)

To keep my mind off the destruction- there is only so much one can take before one wants to hide- I've been watching movies and even finding a few minutes to skip off to the local cinemas to catch something other than whats on the TV here.

I like HERE COMES THE BOOM. Its a mindless feel good film about a teacher who becomes an MMA fighter to save his schools music program. It ain't high art but it is wonderfully diverting.

ALEX CROSS is a misstep and franchise killer. Not so much bad as badly made and badly written, it's a TV movie on the big screen. Tyler Perry would be okay as Cross if he were actually given something to do. the rest of the cast is walking through their roles. As for the final third it's a rethink of the character with several WTF moments. Its not bad as such but it's incredibly uninteresting.

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA was an amusing little trifle with a great start, a great end and an okay middle. It has laughs.

FRANKENWEENIE, Tim Burton's third attempt to tell the story is a very good, but very dark little film  that probably could have been half it's length. by the time the finale rolls around I had the feeling that the last third existed only to riff on classic horror films.

Speaking of animated films, the Oscars announced the list of films that are eligible for Best Animated Feature. Its a great list. I really don't see many clunkers and wonderfully there are a good number of foreign films in the mix that I thought would disappear.

The list of films (with links to past reviews) is as follows:

"Adventures in Zambezia" 


"Brave" 
 I liked this but I didn't love it.

"Delhi Safari" 


"Dr. Seuss' The Lorax" 
 I review is coming I have the DVD floating around and will review it when I find where Avery put it.

"Frankenweenie" 
 See Above

"From Up on Poppy Hill" 
I have an import DVD of this and I'll be pulling it out soon to watch

"Hey Krishna" 


"Hotel Transylvania"  See above

"Ice Age Continental Drift" 
 I was not a fan of this and it's the weakest of all the films I've seen

"A Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman" I've seen some of this at NY Comicon last year and liked what I saw. I opened Friday in New York and if I can get into the city I will see it (The reviews have been horrible)
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"Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" 
 Hoping to see this soon...

"The Mystical Laws" 
This starts a New York runn November 23rd at Cinema Village-I'm talking toMondocurry about going

"The Painting"  One of my favorite films of the year. Click on the title to go to my review.


"ParaNorman" Trying to get to see this (I think it's still playing in theaters) so I can do a horror movies and kids piece with Hotel Transylvania and Frankenweenie.

"The Pirates! Band of Misfits"What fun. I need to see this again to hope to catch all the jokes

"The Rabbi's Cat"Uneven film that isn't for kids.

"Rise of the Guardians"  I'm hoping to see this opening weekend

"Secret of the Wings" 


"Walter & Tandoori's Christmas" 


"Wreck-It Ralph" 


"Zarafa"  Once it gets going this film is an absolute treasure.

I'll have more to say once I see more and once it gets closer to time so keep checking back.

Lastly- DOCNYC starts Thursday at the IFC Center and the SVA Theater. I've been watching films that screened.  Right now reviews will run from tomorrow through next Sunday of what I've seen, and Starting Thursday I'll be dropping in additional reviews of another 8 or 10 films I'm seeing at the public screenings...PLUS we are going to link to the coverage over at Planet Chocko where Mr C and Chocko are going to do their own heavy rotation of coverage.

Two DOCNYC films NOT to miss:
Far Out Isn't Far Enough:The Tomi Ungerer Story which is one of mine and Chocko's favorite films of the year

Shepard and Dark about Sam Shepard and his friend Johnny Dark and their decades long relationship. Its one of the best films on creativity, friendship and other things that I've seen.

(After the DOCNYC coverage there'll be some comedies before we do some Thanksgiving Turkeys - additionally there should be some coverage of the New York City Horror Film Festival which starts Thursday and the BAM Puppets in film series which starts Friday.)

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