This being a three-day weekend, I had an extra day to relax, and took full advantage of it by watching some movies. Figured I’d pretend that was a productive use of my time by writing a bit about them. In viewing order: White Noise 2, Fanboys, and The Godfather.
White Noise 2: The Light
I must admit up front that my desire to watch this flick was entirely based on the presence of Nathan Fillion. During the wait to find out whether or not Castle would be picked up for a second season, I stated (to anyone who would listen) that I’d happily spend one hour a week watching a series that just consisted of Fillion sitting in a crowded bar interacting with people. He’s thoroughly entertaining, and I was surprised to find out there’s something he’s been in recently that I hadn’t watched. The film itself is pretty good, but I’d put it about average if not for Fillion’s performance. Some of the plot points aren’t as surprising as it seems like they were expected to be, but there’s at least a bit of the ethical dilemna that makes a good movie for me. Is this film going to make AFI’s top 100 all time greats? No. Is it worth spending a couple hours watching? Absolutely.
Fanboys (Yes, it finally got released)
Been waiting for this flick for what seems like forever. I first heard about it on Ernie Cline’s website (he wrote it something like a decade ago). Then I found out Kristen Bell was going to be in it, and got even more excited. Then I found out they’d gotten permission from Lucas to film at Skywalker Ranch, and became giddy. Then I waited like TWO FUCKING YEARS to actually see it (it never touched a theater within two hours of me), and I got angry, but no less excited. So, did it live up to my expectations? Mostly. It was certainly less of a letdown than Episode 1. This is a flick made for Star Wars fans by other, more famous Star Wars fans. It has tons of references and cameos. It has all the jokes you need and want it to have. It’s got Kristen Bell as a hot geek chick. The only real complaint I could have about the film is that it’s got a lot of Trek hate, but I can forgive that, since Trekkies are pretty annoying if you aren’t one of them (yes, I’ve been to Starbase Indy a few times, and enjoyed it). The bottom line is that SW fans will thoroughly enjoy it, but most others will probably be moderately entertained at best. That being said, I don’t think anyone actually reads this site, and anyone who does read it has a decently high chance of being a fan, so just go rent/buy the DVD.
The Godfather
I’ve caught so much flak over the years for not having seen this, and the HD movie channel had the whole trilogy on this weekend, so I DVR’d them. When I finally had to go to bed last night, I was halfway through the second one. That’s 286 minutes (so far) of viewing. I never knew these flicks were three effing hours long each. The first one got me hooked, though. The second has me drawn in, if mostly for the backstory of Vito rising to power. I’m not sure I love the movies enough to justify the emphasis some of my friends have put on them, but I’l definitely be watching the rest of the second and then the third when I have a chance. I’ll probably leave them on the DVR and go back and re-watch them at some point, too, for the stuff that I’ve missed.
Update: I watched the rest of the Godfather trilogy. The best part(s)? The backstory of Vito. The rest was decent, but Vito is a guy I could get behind.