Some short notes for October and November. I am having a bit of fun trying out Critiker right now - I tried to rate a bunch of movies to have some fun - see my profile if you are curious.
Seven Psychopaths (2012) - I didn't know what to expect but this was wonderfully absurd and much more thoughtful/interesting than I would have ever guessed... Rating: 4 of 5
Withnail & I (1987) - I saw this described as a cult classic and it had good ratings so I thought this would be a win, but it was 98% lost on me (sad to say that the trailer had just about every scene I connected with as sort of funny). Rating: 1 of 5
Infernal Affairs - rented this without knowing that it was eventually remade into The Departed - decent police/crime plot, but it would have been better if I had not seen The Departed first - but there are enough differences that it was still interesting but... Rating: 3 of 5
A Life Ascending - great scenery and interesting people, nothing that amazed me but it was an interesting brief view into Ski Mountaineering/Guiding in British Columbia... Rating: 3 of 5
The Skin I Live In (2011) - Twisted, terrible and unexpected - this was great! Rating: 4 of 5
Looper (2012) - I love science fiction but this one kind of fizzled for me, worth watching if you are a sci-fi fan, otherwise skip it... Rating: 2 of 5
Public Enemies (2009) - 1930s crime flick, don't bother. Rating 1 of 5
Downton Abbey (2010– ) - Over October and November watched Season 1. Kind of interesting for some of the details - dress, setting, time period - and at the start they introduce quite a few characters which keeps it interesting for awhile - but by the end I had my fill and am not really interested in digging into later seasons. Rating: 3 of 5
Frozen Planet - Some 100% astounding scenery and some great wildlife shots - but after Disc 1 it started to seem repetitive (theme/wildlife/scenery) and I lost interest. Rating: 3 of 5
Skyfall - Classic Bond - no real surprises I think, if you like the previous Daniel Craig Bond movies you are likely to enjoy this (and there were a few absolutely standout gorgeous scenes), otherwise skip it... Rating: 3 of 5
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 7 - stupid AND funny! Rating 4 of 5 (if you can tolerate a show basically about jerks being idiots (or maybe idiots being jerks)...)
Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 8 - AWESOME! Rating 4 of 5
CM