Movie | Blood Trail | Fail

Horror-Western that commits the worst crime...boredom. Adrian Pasdar is only in it for seconds and production quality is quite low (it's dark, it's light, it's dark, it's light!). The best parts were the psychedelic scenes and they didn't add much. Stinker.

TV | Counting Cars | Pass

Super fun "reality" show for gearheads like me.

TV | Drop The Dead Donkey | Fail

Political satire not being our thing and the presence of Stephen Tompkinson (Wild At Heart), it's not surprising that we weren't intrigued by this show.

Movie | Paranorman | Pass

Mega-cool kiddie flick about a little boy who sees...things. Definitely see it in 3D. Nice message about dealing with anger and not becoming a bully. Plenty 'o swear words and not for the younger crowd.

But, Holey Toledo, what a painful experience it is to go to the theater these days. We purposefully waited until kids went back to school and saw a "bargain" matinee. Making the mistake of buying a bottle of water, the total bill for the two of us was over $30.

We sat in an absolutely empty theater. Right before the movie started a mom and her kids came in and sat directly in front of us. Then another set sat directly behind, with a little boy mercilessly kicking the back of my chair non-stop. I asked him to quit it and the moron parent just stared at me. Finally, I stood up and block his vision of the movie until he moved. At no point did a parent think about anybody else around them.

Sure doesn't make us want to rush back to the theater - no wonder they're going out of business. The thing with stupid patrons is something they can't really control. But, the prices make it a no-repeater and it's unsurprising that flat-screen TV sales are way up.

Still, a very fun movie with plenty of action, marvelous animation (I loved how imperfect things were) and a great script. See it!

TV | The Ghosts of Duffy's Cut | Fail

Dreadfully boring documentary about an interesting subject. I don't know how they could have made it better, but it just didn't turn out well at all. Took me two months to drag through the entire hour.

Movie | The Hunger Games | PASs

Also known as dinner time in our house. Get it?!? The Hungry Games...?

Thoroughly familiar and nothing new, this was still a very good movie if you like yet another take on The Most Dangerous Game. I do, so I loved it.

This movie takes so many bits and pieces from other films and books, it's endless. 1984, The Condemned and Gladiator come instantly to mind, but there are so many. There really isn't a minute of originality in this flick.

I would not show this movie to any child, of any age. It's not my place to tell parents what they should and shouldn't do, but I think they're nuts if they let their kids see this. It's pretty nasty stuff, really - children forced to brutally murder other children. This should have been rated R and somebody paid somebody to get the PG-13.

Make this a double with Battle Royale and bring on the sequel!

For Sale | Galaxy MP5K PDW Airsoft AEG

 

Plus extras. $100 obo.

Movie | Nightwing | Pass-ish

After Galaxina, I wanted to see another movie with Stephen Macht in it. I picked this creature feature set on a Native American reservation. The cast was good, FX bad and the script decent though a bit slow.

Movie | Gates of Heaven | Fail

This 1978 documentary about the business of pet cemeteries started off okay, then turned the bizarrely boring corner, losing all focus on the topic. While this was director Errol Morris' first film, there are definitely better flicks from him, especially Mr. Death. Skip this and check that one out instead.

People | Tony Scott | RIP

Which was your favorite Tony Scott movie? For me, it's a tossup between Man On Fire and  The Hunger.

Movie | Safe House | PASS

Excellent action movie! Two hours long and I was ready for more.

Gadget | MP3 Sunglasses | PASS

If you run or ride, you need a pair of these sunglasses. No more wires, no device bouncing around or attached to you, easy to operate and they don't look any worse than any other pair of similar looking sunglasses. I paid twelve bucks (with free shipping) for mine and they are an amazing alternative to the fabulous Oakley Thumps, which run $200-$400! They can be worn two ways - with the earbuds inside your ear (a bit tricky) or outside (which works surprisingly well). Comes with everything you need, including a 120V charger.

The sound probably won't satisfy audiophiles, but then nothing ever does. There are a few interesting options and features. Weirdly, the lens can flip up while you are wearing them. The frames stay in place, but you can look extra nerdy if you fancy it. Also, they come in a variety of colors. But, Ford was right; you should be able to get any color you want as long as its' black. Storage sizes range from 1, 2, 4, 8 and 16GB. I got the 2 and it's plenty for a couple of my favorite albums or a long playlist. Who needs more? If you're outrunning the capability, it loops and you need a new hobby.

And for the super-techies out there, you can even get these with bluetooth that connects to your phone, so you can multi-task as you run over things and swerve into trees.

Fantastic!

Movie | Galaxina | Pass

I've seen this about forty times and I get why people think it's trash. But, to me, it's utterly charming 80s style trash and a must for all fans of cheapo, B-movie sci-fi romps that blatantly rip off Star Wars and just about every other successful space actioner. I think most folks thought this would be soft-core porn set in space, like Flesh Gordon. It's not (other than one very brief moment that is anything but erotic). Instead, it's silly and intriguing much in the manner of Buckaroo Banzai. Brilliant!

Movie | Shutter Island | Pass

The good things about this movie are that it's a pretty good thriller and the cinematography and scenery were fantastic. The bad is that the plot felt a bit hodge-podge and the fact that it's nearly impossible to fake a Boston accent...it makes it seem like there's bad acting going on, but there isn't, necessarily. Thriller fans will enjoy this one.

Movie | Chronicle | Pass

I wasn't that interested in the teeny-bopper struggle aspects of this movie. But, I was fascinated by exploration of what super powers have on an "ordinary" person. I also really liked the usage of the cold, unfeeling, unblinking POV camerawork, though I usually don't like it. Here, it ends up being a way to build the characters. This was pretty good if you can get past the rather slow "normal" scenes.

Movie | Behind the Planet of the Apes | PASS

Fantastic documentary detailing the creation of the first installments of one of the best science fiction franchises ever.

Movie | The Wolfman | Fail

Criminally boring.

Movie | Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead | PASS

Excellent, memorable documentary about the battles of two men with obesity. A must see.