The Chronicles of Riddick

Apes Pick: The Chronicles of Riddick





Why we picked this film: We worked together using the process of elimination to pick this film.

Beeps:  Oh...my poor head.  I think this film gave me vertigo.  The action scenes are enough to send me into an epileptic fit.  If I can put that aside, what I'm left with is a film that is the story of a convict, who is my #2 greatest character ever. (A distant second to Hannibal Lecter, M.D.)  Vin Diesel shines here as Riddick who is a certifiable bad ass in virtually every moment that he's on screen.  The film is light on story and character development, and although I've seen Pitch Black several times, we don't really know who Riddick is.  You get a piece of his backstory here, but it's only a morsel, and you're left wanting more.  I honestly believe that after Pitch Black came out and people saw just how chilling and fascinating the character Riddick was, they had to have more.  So writer/directer David Twohy basically created a world around him.  I have no clue if that's true, but it seems to make sense, especially since they renamed the first film to The Chronicles of Riddick: Pitch Black.  Of course following that logic this would be The Chronicles of Riddick: The Chronicles of Riddick... Oh dear god, and I thought the action scenes were what gave me the vertigo!  Go watch this now, if not for the fantastic world/effects, then for the character Riddick, a savage, heartless, animalistic killer, who somehow finds his way into your heart.  3 1/2 Stars!

Apes: I think I like the idea of this film more than the actual film. The action is too jumpy and flashy for me and that makes it hard to watch. I love Vin Diesel in this role. He comes across rugged, strong, tough, and that voice... oh that voice... yummy! Other than that the film feels like it's missing HUGE chunks of the story line. This feels like the 3rd movie in an epic trilogy, but with those first two missing this feels odd and out of place. Sure there is Pitch Black, but that doesn't really tell you much about anything either. There is enough information to fill in the story a bit, but not enough to make you feel connected. I need a little more back story on Fury and on the characters... I mean why is he a convict? What did he do - other than kick ass and take names- he comes across so lovable, but hardcore. Who are all these people... This flick is all flash and pop, but where is the meat? Its like a one night stand... enjoyable, but so meaningless. Its well worth a watch, but because it left me wanting (and wanting more than just Vin Diesel) I give it 2 1/2 stars.

Overall we give this film 3 Stars.

~Beeps and Apes

Private Parts

Beeps Pick: Private Parts

Why we picked this film: I was in the mood for a comedy and quite frankly "vampired out" so I went for something I've been trying to get Apes to watch for ages.

Beeps:  Oh man, I haven't seen this film in ages.  Good stuff to be had right here.  I really enjoy this film, and it's not as dirty as you would believe, given the subject matter.  Anyway, it's basically a biographical account of the life of radio personality Howard Stern, up through 1985 or so.  I remember when the book for this came out, it got so much press as Stern proclaimed himself the King of All Media.  That title is a bit overreaching, but nonetheless the film is completely entertaining.  There isn't really a slow part, or even a plot really for the film.  I didn't feel like it followed your conventional film format.  It's almost as if the film says to you here's what I am, I'm telling you this story, so sit there and watch it.  It works, and it works well.  The film is funny and paced very well.  I certainly didn't look at my watch to see how much longer I had to go to get through it.    I don't consider myself a Howard Stern fan, I think he's an interesting person, but I haven't really followed him or his show, but I would love to see a sequel to this to bring us up to present day.  Long Live The King!!! 3 and 1/2 Stars!

Apes: Beeps has seriously been trying to get me to watch this one since we got married, and I had ABSOLUTELY no interest. I'm not sure why I refused this one so long; maybe I'm just a little young to remember the Stern Revolution or maybe I was put off by the stigma surrounding him. I've never listened to Howard Stern on the radio and still have no desire to, but I'm glad I watched the movie. The semi documentary feel was nice and the way it was mixed in with the movie and acting bits worked really well. I enjoyed learning more about the radio biz and about a very miss understood radio personality. For a movie titled Private Parts there really aren't many in the movie. A boob shot here and there and a lady swallows a 13 in kielbasi, but who doesn't want to see that ;). I found the movie funny, entertaining, and a tad enlightening (you know the kielbasi bit - just kidding). I'm glad I've seen it, but I won't seek it out again. I give it 2 1/2 stars for being interesting, moving at a good speed, clearing up my misconceptions, and being less dirty than I imagined it would be.

Overall we give this film 3 Stars

~Beeps and Apes

Interview with a Vampire

Beeps Pick: Interview With A Vampire




Why we picked this film: Apes wanted to watch Queen of the Damned so I figured it would be best if we watched this first. We've both seen this before, but its been AGES!

Beeps:  Oh Louie... Never at any time in my film watching life have I ever seen a main character that is such a tortured soul.  I enjoy the first hour or so of this film, Tom Cruise is effective as the maniacal Lestat, but once he exits from the story, the film begins to take a nose dive.  I find myself caring less about the characters as the movie progresses.  I mean if our tortured protagonist doesn't give a shit, then why should I?  I'd recommend this movie if you've never seen it, it is dark and brooding, and while it does show it's age, (the quality on this DVD is utter shit) it is still a good film, once.  However after multiple viewings it just sputters out too hard at the end to be called a classic.  2 and 1/2 stars!


Apes: I still really enjoyed this movie. It is a bit dark and melodramatic, but it some how oddly works for this movie. I enjoy the character development, the anguish and emotion, and the overall feel of the film. I hope this cleans up a bit on Blu Ray because I found the picture quality on dvd less than awesome, but then again it does add to the whole feel of the flick. I think this is definitely worth a watch! Its not scary, its well written, well acted, and an enjoyable story! I give it 3 stars.


Overall we give this film 3 stars.

~Beeps and Apes

Young Sherlock Holmes

Beeps Pick: Young Sherlock Holmes



Why we picked this film: We are cleaning out our DVD collection to make space for the TON of Blu-rays Beeps is getting for Christmas (or that we got on great sales earlier this year). As a part of that any DVDs that we have wanted to watch, but don't really want to keep forever we are watching and then selling or trading in on Amazon.

Beeps:  I can't remember where or when I first saw this flick, it was somewhere in my early to mid teens and I think it was network television.  That would have made this an already somewhat dated picture as it was originally released in 1985.  The production company is quick to put Steven Spielberg presents on the outside of the clamshell and that is probably all he had to do with this film.  It's certainly not a masterpiece, but has a decent story, albeit somewhat predictable and full of movie cliches.  I couldn't help but draw parallels between this and Harry Potter films, so I was not surprised to see this was written by Chris Columbus, who would later go on to direct the first 2 Potter films.  The movie is an interesting blend of two worlds, combining Egypt and Victorian England, this oddly works for me, though it is thoroughly unbelievable.  Apes and I debated whether or not the film was geared towards kids, and we never really came up with an answer.  Some scenes, I'd be wary of showing a 10 year old, while I feel anyone older than that would be able to see through the story and pick apart the movie.  All of the negative feelings about the story being predictable and full of movie cliches can't fully crush the spirit of this thing though, as it does endear itself to your heart.  2 and a Half Stars!

Apes: I like Sherlock Holmes well enough, and I liked the idea of seeing some of the back story. I went into this knowing full well this movie was made in the mid 80's and not to expect too much in the way of amazing special effects, but I've got to say they weren't nearly as bad as I had imagined. The story while cute was predictable. I normally avoid mysteries because I always figure them out before the end, and it was no different with this one. I knew who was guilty, who would die, and how things would pan out well before they happened in the movie. That being said it is a cute kids movie for kids over 10 who love Sherlock Holmes or vintage clothes and pipes. There is a bit of scary hallucinations in the middle so if your kid is prone to nightmares... avoid this movie, but as an adult (who is prone to nightmares :P ) I was fine with this flick and give it 3 stars for being cute, well written, and interesting. It kept my attention the whole film which can be rare these days.

Overall we give this film 3 Stars!

~Beeps and Apes

Tron: Legacy

Apes Pick: Tron: Legacy



Why I picked this film: We watched the original and well, I wasn't a fan, but I wanted to see what 30 years of special effects development could do for a movie.

Beeps:  Hmmm...  Not too shabby.  I really enjoyed this.  I'd consider it a relatively mindless romp through a neon future world, although technically I suppose it's inside of a computer system.  It lacks an epic feel to it, but still is totally successful as a popcorn flick.  I don't know if I'd necessarily yearn to see it again, but it's definitely worth a watch.  Even if you absolutely hated the first movie.  Bonus points for the smokin' hot Olivia Wilde.  Yowsers!  3 Stars!

Apes: This is WAY better than the first one, but still manages to pay homage to the original with out sacrificing its own style and special effects. This was definitely a special effects over load kind of film. Still way too much neon, but much more enjoyable. Don't expect life changing, mind boggling, creativity, but if you just want to kick you heals up and vedge out this a good film. I give it 3 stars.

Overall we give this film 3 stars!

~Beeps and Apes

Akira

Why I chose this movie:  I selected this movie because Apes is starting to get seriously into anime.  Why not force her to watch the quintessential anime flick.  Not to mention the fact that Hollywood is creating a live action version of this film soon.

Beeps:  This film was my first introduction into anime.  This film should be nobody's first anime film.  The plot is shall I say, simply complex.  It's really not a difficult plot, but minor details within the plot get so complex, I still don't think I fully understand what I witnessed.  The problem with the film is that it stems from a 2,100+ page manga.  You cannot compress something that large into a two hour film and have it work out just fine, and I feel that it is the only real flaw of the movie.  I would love to see this re-done in animation form, stretched out into many hours and with a proper treatment from the source material.  This movie puts me in a reflective state and I can draw deeper thoughts from the characters and their traits within the movie.  As far as the animation goes, it is quite simply flawless.  This movie is from 1988 and it is finally starting to show a bit of that age, but make no mistakes, it is some of the best animation that you will ever see.  4 Stars!

Apes: Okay, so I'm a huge anime nerd... It's cool I know this, but this movie was totally not what I expected. Not only did I not care about the characters, but I didn't have a clue what was going on. I need more why or how in a movie. This movie just gives you a vague over view with random motorcycle chases and no real plot. Ehhhh not for me. The animation is well done and relatively flawless especially for the age of the film, but other than that I just wasn't very interested!  I give it 2 stars but purely for the beauty in the animation.

Overall we give it 3 Stars.

~Beeps and Apes

Kill Bill - Volume Two

Our Pick:  Kill Bill - Volume Two



Why We Picked This Film:  We took a day between them, but we hate leaving stories unfinished, so here we are with the 2nd volume.

Beeps:  Originally, I saw these in the theater, but I have not seen them since.  My initial reaction back then was that the first volume was far superior, and that the second volume was far to much dialogue and not enough meat and potatoes so to speak.  I think that I was wrong, I enjoyed this a bit more than I did the first volume, and there was less dialogue than I remember.  It does tend to get a bit long winded at times, but that's to be expected.  So as I said, I think this volume to be superior to the first.  Albeit, not enough to warrant an additional 1/2 star from me.  3 stars.

Apes: I liked this volume a lot better than volume one. There may have been less "action" but there were also less art school effects, bad music, and oddly cut scenes. As a plus there are also a few scenes in this one where they make Uma Thurman look pretty... that is a huge plus. I enjoyed the closure that this film provides and how nicely the story is wrapped up and I suppose it ends the only way it can. However, I think this is one of the few films I'd have prefered to make up my own ending. Overall not bad 3 stars.

Overall we give this film 3 stars.

~Beeps and Apes

Mamma Mia!

Apes Pick: Mamma Mia!





Why I picked this film: Since its release in theaters I've been wanting to see this film again. I figure now is as good a time as any. I remember it being funny, romantic, and just fun. We shall see if my first impressions hold up and what Beeps thinks since this isn't his normal cup o' tea. 

Beeps:  Musicals...  My least favorite category of film.  However, I'm not going to bash this picture as I'm sure most of you are expecting.  The movie was ok, the singing (except for Pierce Brosnan) was pretty good.  I can't help but find it all sort of silly, really.  I guess I really didn't get the point.  Ex-lovers show up the day before your daughters wedding, and what do you do?  Go emo and sing Abba songs?!?!  In addition, every time there was a gathering of women, I could almost swear that I heard clucking hen sounds.  All of this being said... it is tolerable, and I think worthy of a viewing.  Men, you are sure to score some brownie points for this one, just really drag your heels and whine about doing it, but then eventually cave and do it, it's really not that bad.  2 1/2 stars.

Apes: I enjoyed this film in theaters. In subsequent viewing it loses some of its charm. It is deffinately still worth a viewing or two even if Abba isn't your favorite. Its a funny film that even made Beeps laugh a few times. Maybe I'm to callous for this film. Beeps can say what he will he was TOTALLY  singing along - and he might have been dancing in his seat I'm not sure! I give this movie 3 stars for entertainment, music, and comedy.

Overall we give this film 3 Stars

~Beeps and Apes

PS. As I was about to push publish Beeps burst into song..... "I AM THE DANCING QUEEN.... damn it" lol... I love that man!

Shaun of the Dead

 Random Pick: Shaun of the Dead



Why we picked this movie: Our nieces were over here spending the night and wanted to watch a comedy, but like 13 and 14 year old girls didn't want something old "you know like the 80's", something they had seen, or stupid. So Beeps picked Shaun of the Dead... I'm not sure this is exactly what they had in mind! :)

Beeps:  I believe this was my third time watching this film.  I liked it well enough, although it was a bit slower than I remember.  I'm finding that through doing this blog, I tend to overstate the greatness of movies that I had seen in the past in my head, so that when I re-watch them, they never exactly live up to the perfection that I had set up in my mind.  All of that aside, the movie itself is likable enough with Simon Pegg as the title character, a lovable loser trying to get his life sorted out in the midst of a zombie apocalypse.  Good stuff there.  The movie has a rather slow pacing, and it's funny, it's just not a laugh out loud type of funny.  If you've never seen this, I recommend it wholeheartedly.  3 stars. 

Apes: Okay, confession... I REALLY like this movie the British humor, sarcasm, and hilarious comparison to the lives we lead in our JOBS to mindless zombies just strikes me as funny! I'm actually the one who got Beeps to watch this the first time. However, the hilarious parallels to human behavior are COMPLETELY lost on 13 year old girls. I love this film for the aforementioned reasons. I also think Simon Pegg is great. If you aren't a fan of slow British humor this probably isn't the film for you. Although if you like "spoof" movies I think you'll enjoy this film. I give this film 3 stars because its lost some of its humor in the 4 or so viewings and the look of pure boredom and torture on my nieces faces! If you choose to watch this film be warned it isn't laugh out loud funny more of a subtle and refined funny.

Quote from my niece: "Just got done waching the dumbest movie ever!" - We left the typo in there for added effect :)

Overall we give this film 3 stars.

~Beeps and Apes

Jade

Beeps Pick: Jade



Why I Picked This Film:  I chose this film, because it's been in my to watch again list, for years.  I saw it once in my teenage years and I remember it being a sexy murder mystery... a super sexy murder mystery.

Beeps:  Oh it's a murder mystery alright, although not nearly as sexy as I remember from my teenage years.  Don't get me wrong, it's sexy, but not AS sexy as I remember.  I enjoyed the film pretty thoroughly, although I have to say the score is a little... off.  The opening of the film just has this terrible horror movie music, which was pretty laughable.  There are times throughout the film that this music comes back to bother me.  Shockingly enough, the story holds up fairly well over time.  We're talking about a film that is now 15 years old, although I must say it was a little weird to hear someone get paged for a phone call, and for one of the officers to check his beeper.  All in all, it's a good time, now that I've seen it, I can shelve it for another 15 years.  2 1/2 stars.

Apes: The way Beeps described this film to me I was expecting something that was practically a porno. I am pleased to report it is not. Heck I think the Victoria Secret catalog is dirtier than this film. That being out of the way, I thoroughly enjoyed this film. Its a classic "who done it" that keeps you guessing. Lots of suspense and twists. I think this film is definitely worth a watch, but I LOVE films that aren't easy to figure out! I give this film 3 stars for the intrigue and suspense. However, be warned that this is not the on the edge of your seat sort of suspense more of a slow winding suspense.

Overall we give it 3 stars for suspense, intrigue, and nostalgia.

~Beeps and Apes

Assassins

Beeps Pick- Assassins

 

 
Why I chose this film:  It's been a brutal past few days at work, and I was really looking to get something with quite a bit of action, but not something that's over the top violent like Rambo for example.  I have seen this movie, but it's been far too long.  Apes however, has not seen this film, and since it is one of my favorites, I wanted to share this experience with her.

Beeps:  It's interesting to watch a film that you have fantastic memories of from years gone past.  I remember this film being a total rush and absolutely amazing.  On this, a subsequent viewing, although my last was many years ago, I found the movie to be good, but not great.  The dialogue between Stallone and Banderas is painful at times since Banderas' character is a bit jittery with a heavy accent, and Stallone... well Stallone is just a mumbler.  I liked the action scenes, although there were fewer than I remember.  All in all, it was a decent experience, although it did drag on at times.  3 stars.

Apes: This movie starts out SLOW! Beeps said he was picking an action movie, but I'm not sure that is how I would classify this film. Over all I thought this was an OK film and I would watch it again if a friend or family member REALLY wanted to see it. However, knowing how it ends I would most likely fall asleep during any and all subsequent viewings. The film is interesting and keeps you interested with twists and turns in the story, and the ending is definitely not what I was expecting. Over all I give this film 2 1/2 stars. Take it or leave it either way you're not missing or gaining anything.

Overall we'll call this one 3 stars, but its more of a 2 3/4 star movie! :P

~Beeps and Apes