…the end of december. since my last post I got around to checking out juno and I am legend.

thoughts?

I am legend:
the cgi mutants (after all those months of casting for extras they went with cgi mutants?) looked a little weird to me, but I can see how having real live mutant extras might look like all the trendy zombie movies that’s come out recently. but still, recreating human-like movement with cgi is HARD. guess it’s a lose-lose situation there. there is a major hole in the story but I won’t ruin it for ya. I still enjoyed it though (mmm, dilapidated nyc).

juno:
when it wasn’t trying to be cheeky (believe me, some of the key dialogue must have been written by a crotchety hollywood exec who watched one episode of TRL) it was a very good movie. but there were just far too many scenes of it trying to be “quirky” or “edgy” that it was lost on me (I can almost see the company memo using those words). it’s like the studios had a huge board meeting with out-of-touch execs and twisted a writer’s arm to re-create the charm of napoleon dynamite. some parts I really liked, some parts really grated on my nerves. juno gets my vote as this year’s science of sleep.

…the end of december. and it sure as hell feels like the end of december too. brrrr.

so yeah, a few films I’m itching to see before the end of the year:

juno
I am legend

in that order but I think I’ll end up seeing I am legend first. I remember they were casting for the vampire mutants roles a while back, at first it was like “if you look like a freak, or are some sort of contortionist, please come to this audition” and then later it became “ok, if you wanna be in this movie then show up for this audition because we have to fill a huge cavernous shot with you lot.” I also remember they closed down washington square park for a weekend and had an entire row of burnt up cars lining a street north of the park.

so yeah. then january we got:

cloverfield
be kind rewind

though the last time I really looked forward to a michel gondry film I was largely disappointed. we’ll see how this one goes.

so just this past sunday I got guitar hero (don’t even make me link that up, you know what it is). I played it a little when I was at dan’s over thanksgiving and I was hooked.

I tore right through it on EASY mode so I ventured forth on MEDIUM. I was able to successfully complete each song at this new setting and burned right through right up to the very last song to beat the game.

ozzy osbourne’s bark at the moon.

it’s widely regarded as the toughest song in guitar hero and it’s no exaggeration. this song repeatedly kicked my ass. repeatedly.

until tonight.

after my buddy alex came over and showed the song can actually be conquered (the dude is a few years’ veteran of GH) I took a stab at it. I came dangerously close to flaming out right at the end (the song ends with an impossible guitar solo) but I somehow managed to sputter my way to the finish line.

I felt like it was some sort of nerd rite of passage. and it was great.