literaLee

imho: Salvation Boulevard

J.L. Munn — Tue, 01 May 2012 01:18:01 +0000

This movie takes the usual reproachful position to the presentation of the culture around Mega-churches. However, it does it with a slightly less aggressive twist. It allows you to watch the film, laugh at what’s going on and get lost in the silliness of it. The performances are not really great and the chemistry between the actors just isn’t there, but overall, it is entertaining.

I’d recommend this one to anyone that enjoys movies along the lines of Saved!

imho: The Blob (1958)

J.L. Munn — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 14:26:23 +0000

I adore this movie, but that’s not really all that surprising. I do have a soft spot for old “horror/sci-fi”. I laughed all the way through it for oh so many reasons; from glaring plot holes to odd casting choices, to the oh so adorably cliché dialogues. But, if you look past all that, you can also learn some very important lessons, such as: 1 – don’t poke fallen comets with a stick, 2 – small town sherif’s offices have very complex inter-personal structures and conflicts, and 3 – kids have not changed at all from one generation to the next (so if you’re a kid, don’t think you’re more revolutionary than any other generation…and if you’re an adult, remember that what irritates us most in life is a mirror).

I recommend this to anyone that loves “Sunday afternoon” movie festival films, but also to anyone that wants to marvel at what we were able to do before the days of CGI. Oh, also also for anyone that would love to see Steve McQueen as a very “mature” looking teenager!

Ah…what the hell…I recommend it to everyone.

imho: The Giant Mechanical Man

J.L. Munn — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 20:12:25 +0000

For the most part, I enjoyed this movie. Although I do feel that they (intentionally or not) harvested a lot of the vibe of The Office without the humor (and no it’s not because of Jenna Fischer). The music and the underlying sentiment are the source. It’s not what I would call a great film, but the performances are good, considering that there is no real story for the actors to hang onto.

I’d really only recommend this one to people who love the actors (these roles are not surprising choices for any of them) or people who enjoy slice of life movies. It’s not the best of its genre, but it’s not painful to watch either.

imho: The Chronicles of Riddick

J.L. Munn — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 12:30:10 +0000

This movie is exactly what you think it will be (which is very much simultaneously a complement and a rebuke). The acting is adequate, the action is steady and the plot…better than it should be with all things considered. I do so love to hate Vin Diesel, but do respect that he was willing to put his money where his mouth was for this character.

If you’ve seen Pitch Black, it will make the Jack/Kiera subplot make sense, but otherwise the two movies are only vaguely intertwined.

I’d recommend this one mostly just for people who already know and love Vin Diesel…but also for those who enjoy cheesy action/sci-fi combos.

imho: God Bless America

J.L. Munn — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 22:29:15 +0000

This is a very interesting movie, from a societal perspective; and for it’s genre, it is very well done. There really isn’t anything mind blowing here, but definitely it is definitely worth a viewing; and even more, worth thinking about after the viewing. I applaud them for saying just enough that you can pick your irritant while restraining themselves enough so that it doesn’t become irritating.

If you watch the trailer and you are interested, you’ll like it. If you watch it and hate it, it’ll probably make you angry to watch.

imho: Gainsbourg: Vie Héroique

J.L. Munn — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 01:04:02 +0000

This is such a beautiful movie, it feels like a disservice to write about it. It is a movie that can (and should) speak for itself.

The best thing that I can tell you is just to go and watch it. The approach to the story is fresh and clever and very much respects the persona of Serge Gainsbourg. However, one of the things I love most about this movie is that even if you have no idea who Gainsbourg is, this is still an amazingly wonderful movie.

Go watch this movie right now.

imho: Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

J.L. Munn — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 02:44:58 +0000

There’s not a whole lot to say about this one. If you like the Mission Impossible franchise, you’ll enjoy this one. The performances were adequate and the story was tight (mostly). There were a few moments where there were repetitive “jokes” that weren’t funny the first time around (or maybe they weren’t jokes, just repetitive) so they fall flatter and flatter with each iteration. Overall, however, it was worth the viewing.

If you are looking for an “action” movie, this one will not disappoint.

imho: These Amazing Shadows

J.L. Munn — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 20:47:06 +0000

This documentary is important; not in the way that documentaries about the destruction of our planet are important, but in the way that remembering who we are, where we come from is important. It shows us why it’s important to remember, as well as why it’s important for us to keep trying for new ways to express our own human experiences in media that is accessible to the world. Our cultural legacies matter.

If you at all enjoy movies, you should watch this. If you enjoy history, you should watch this. If you want to see how government money can be put to good use, watch this movie. Essentially, you should all watch it.

imho: Design Is a Job

J.L. Munn — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 01:56:59 +0000

Design is a Job by Mike Monteiro

I came to this book not as a designer, but as someone curious about why it was so intriguing to designers; and, as best I can decipher, Mike Monteiro came to this book not as a writer, but as a designer. So in that sense, we were a mixed match from the start. That is what makes my enjoyment of the book very surprising. Monteiro’s style is interesting (even refreshing in places) and what he has to say very much transcends just the design world. What he offers here is a general overview of all the basics that anyone working in project driven fields should know. (Anyone that thinks there is a project in existence that doesn’t have a creative element to it is 100% off their rocker.) There is amazingly very few ideas that are so specific to the design world that they really wouldn’t carry over.

It does drag a little in a few places, but I will give him that it is only because in some places he goes to such a basic place that I lost interest. (There are just some things, in my opinion, that if you don’t know them, you aren’t likely to understand them even if someone does take the time to explain them.) He does well, however, in taking advantage of his seeing the world from a visual perspective…or is it ADD and he can’t focus longer than that? He does not wax poetic so long on these topics that I wasn’t able to read my way through them. (Yes, that means you won’t need to “skip” chapters.)

I recommend that anyone working in project driven environments give this one a try, no matter where you fall on the food chain in that environment. Even if you don’t learn anything new, you’ll find more than one quotable moment and may even be encouraged to rethink some of what you think you already fully understand; and as he says, at the very least, you’ll have acquired a good skill set that will help you if you ever need to hire a designer for one of your projects. Congratulations Mr. Monteiro for successfully being a writer. Now I am curious about your design capabilities.

imho: Memoirs of a Geisha

J.L. Munn — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 18:42:06 +0000

This is such a beautiful movie. The colors and sounds play so perfectly together. The performances, almost all of them, are spectacular. And the subject is interesting (though there is debate about its accuracy).

If you have read the book and enjoyed it, you will likely also enjoy the film. Some of the changes are slightly annoying, but nothing you can’t look past. If you have seen this movie and have not read the book…go get it now and read it. There is so much more there than can be put into a film.