Watching some films

"Caught in the camera eye..."
Geddy Lee of Rush from the LP Moving Pictures

I have been watching quite a few documentaries and independent films as the Dish Network (DROP CABLE NOW—THE CABLE NAZI’S ARE CONTROLLING YOU) has the Independent Film Channel and the Documentary Channel. Both are excellent. Yesterday IFC showed This is Spinal Tap—awesome film.

Pam rented some movies for me to help pass the time and we both enjoy watching films to a great degree. We actually like documentaries a bit more than we thought we would, we being socially conscience people in our own warped ways. This weekend she rented Brokeback Mountain. I thought it was contrived and a bit boring to be honest. The hype did not really match the film. I would argue the same for Crash—a bit dull and fairly predictable and unrealistic. I think I have grown bored with heavy-handed “message films.” I liked Capote better than both of those, but if one were to see In Cold Blood, basically one has the plot of Capote.

With that in mind, here are some overlooked films I highly recommend.

Clay Pigeons—as it was recently on IFC. This is a great film that takes film noir to rural Montana, I believe. The idea of a killing spree-murderer who sets up a friend to dish out “justice” is absolutely bizarre. It features Vince Vaughn in his best role on the screen and Jenny Garafalo as an FBI agent—no really. The soundtrack is great and the film has some extremely intense scenes.

Supersize Me—also seen on IFC. This is a film where a man decides to eat McDonalds for every meal for a month and noticed his body starts to negatively react: humorous and frightening at the same time. You may never eat fast food again.

Starsky and Hutch—Pam rented it for me. Ok, it ran a bit long, and I hate these types of revisions films—but this one is funny. Key to the humor—Ben Stiller. The film revives the classic characters from the 1970s and ridicules the modern times with them. A very fun film on a superficial level.

City of God—This is a frightening movie that really shows a seedy side of life as citizens in Brazil are left to fend for themselves in the “city of God” as terrorism and violence are simply ways of life. Subtitles abound, but this is a harsh film.

Why We Fight—is a documentary about the latest Gulf War. Not as sarcastic as Fahrenheit 911, but it does cause one to think. Bush and Cheney and especially Rumsfeld come off as really manipulative in this movie.

Dogs of War—The McNamara documentary that shows how Viet Nam was basically concocted of manipulation and lies and compares it to the latest Gulf War. This is really a tough film to watch as it pretty much gives every citizen cause to think and question what they have been told by their government in relationship to historical evidence. I saw a lecture about this film and I was more than interested in examining it further.

Here you are, pass the time with a few good movies that give one fuel for thought. I am hoping to catch X-Men III this week. If it is half as good as the second one, should be great. Kelsey Grammar as Beast—perfect casting.