playing catch-up

School is done for the year and now I can relax and try to catch up on some movies. I'm only a few years behind the scene I think. I've also just started watching the 1st season of Lost. It's pretty intriguing so far.

TV Review: Corner Gas - Season 2
Not quite as good as the first season but still very funny. If you liked Northern Exposure I'm sure you'll like Corner Gas.

Movie Review: Taking Lives (2004)
This movie tries very hard to be the next 'Seven'. Unfortunately it tries too hard and is much too obvious. The beginning of the movie was very surprising though. In fact, I thought I was watching the wrong DVD at first as the story was unfolding in a completely different direction than I expected. Angelina Jolie plays an FBI agent in Montreal trying to solve the case of a serial murderer. She's very sexy in the role but not very believable as a hardened law officer. 24's Kiefer Sutherland has a small role but I'm afraid that to me he will always be Jack Bauer now. He's so identifiable with his role on '24' that I find it distracting when he does anything else. 5/10

Movie Review: Monster's Ball (2001)
What an amazing movie. No wonder Halle Berry won the Oscar for best actress. What a tour-de-force by everyone involved. The movie comments on race relations but is really the story of two lonely people who undergo extreme losses before finding each other. 9/10

Movie Review: The Big Fish (2003)
A real tear-dabber from the mind of Tim Burton. A son who has only heard bigger than life tales from his father attempts to learn the truth before his father passes away. Great acting by a big, splendid cast with a touch of subtle special effects really make this movie great. 8/10

Movie Review: Dances with Wolves (Special Edition) (1990)
The 4 hour extended version of the movie that swept the 1990 Oscars, including best picture. The scenes that were cut only add to the movie and make it more enjoyable for those liked the original. We get to learn what really happened to the troops stationed at the abandoned fort, how Stands-With-Fist's husband died, and other information. This version of the film also adds a little ambiguity to Costner's character's view of his new native friends as he witnesses the grisly remains of some hapless white hunters that were slaughtered by the tribe. Alongside 'Unforgiven' I consider this one of the great modern Western films. 9.5/10