This Movie Bugs Me

I had assumed that any movie made by William Friedkin is going to be good. Although its been forty (hmm...., now I am starting to feel old) years since he made the Exorcist, that film is such a classic that you should give his new feature a shot. His latest, the one worded "Bug" may be worth a look... if you are really bored and have a lot of time on your hands.

Don't worry about waiting on long lines or that the cinema will run out of popcorn. Fans are simply not flocking to see Bug. Can we really blame them? The plot line is a bit weird. Ashley Jud plays a woman living in a motel wondering where her child is. She meets a new love who is perfectly normal except for one little thing. He thinks that the government has implanted tiny bugs under his skin.

Now he never really says why he believes the government would do such a thing, but he believes it, she believes it, and some members of the audience may believe it. But wait, these two wacky characters are not enough to amuse us. Friedkin has to throw in Ashley's crazy former husband. Did I mention he just got out of jail and is hoping for a reunion? You can see how much fun this movie can be.

To be quite honest, I preferred the movie "Ants" to the movie "Bug." If I am going to go to a movie named after tiny creatures which really annoy me, I will pick the lesser of two evils. Ants are a lot less threatening than bugs.

Hey, here's a good idea. just rent "The Exorcist" so your impression of Friedkin will remain positive

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Knocked Up Should Be Knocker Around

All right, everyone who reviews movies sees lots and lots of great movies. But, since they all can't be Oscar material, we also have to watch a lot of dogs. One of those such dogs is a new movie called "Knocked Up."

As you can tell by the crass title, the movie is about a couple who by "accident' get pregnant. The woman is a smart, beautiful, up and coming marketing executive. The guy is a fat, unemployed, obnoxious loser. Could someone remind me how many times Hollywood has tried to give us an "odd couple" movie? Are the creative talents in Hollywood so out of ideas that we have to see the same story over and over again. How many times can we laugh because a woman ends up with some strange, slob?

Of course they end up falling in love and what they had considered an "accident" really was their fate. So the formula continues and they live happily ever after once she discovers that inside, he is really a great guy. Yeah, yeah, been there and done that.

Here's a twist. I dare anyone in Hollywood to make a film about a smart, talented guy who ends up falling in love with an ugly, stupid woman who lives with her friends watching television throughout the day. What? No takers. Guess that "odd couple" just wouldn't work. Maybe, but at least it would be different. Not just the same old film that we have seen thousands of times. Save your money, you would have more fun going bowling than talking an evening to go watch this flick.

Knocked up should be knocked out. Knocked out of the movie theaters at least.

What Ever Happened to Popcorn?

One of the biggest part of the whole movie going experience was the giant bucket of popcorn. Almost everyone purchasing a ticket would arrive a few minutes early and sit waiting patiently for the film to start while shoving handfuls of the hot, buttery corn into their mouths. Every year, the theater would come up with an even larger size. First there was large. Than "Giant." Then "Super." Finally, many theaters sold "Mega" buckets which could probably feed ten people (for a week). The thing was, everyone felt they had to prove something by ordering and trying to consume the largest possible receptacle full of popcorn. I have memories of guys tugging huge buckets, almost the size of garbage cans, into the dark theaters.

Today, everything has changed. Sure, you can get giant chocolate bars and twizzlers at the theater. But in many theaters, you can buy salads! Buying a salad is antithetical to the whole notion of going to the movies. We like to watch larger than life action films on a giant screen rather than just rent the DVD because the very act of going to a movie theater is to live vicariously outside your existence. For a few hours, we are right there with the commando, on the ship, in outer space, etc. We soak in the excitement that can only be experienced watching a great movie in a movie theater.

For the same reason, going to the movies is about eating hot popcorn by the trunk load. It's not about nibbling on a spinach salad. If you need your greens, by all means just rent the movie and watch at home. At a cinema, you are not just paying to see the movie, you are paying for an escapist experience. For two hours, ignore whatever weight problems you may or may not have.

Just have fun!

Spiderman: The Trilogy

With the upcoming release of Spiderman 3, the final chapter in an exciting trilogy will become known to all Spiderman fans around the world. Fans should not worry, the third movie is just as exciting as the first two.

When the producers decided to start making Spiderman movies, they had to overcome some natural obstacles. Obviously, it's much easier to draw a comic strip of a superhero doing unnatural things than it is to film an actor in real life. Yet, with the current age of special effects, they were able to pull off a very realistic superhero with super effects. Spiderman shoots webs out of his hands that we know are all computer generated. He flies through the streets and over tall buildings. We know this is all done in a computer studio, yet it is so realistic that we let ourselves be convinced that Spiderman is real.

My big problem with the movies is the origin of Spiderman is not given justice. I am sure, the plot sequence was at one time more elaborate but got lost on the cutting room floor. I just don't buy Peter Parker getting lost in the science museum and getting bitten by a radioactive spider -- which in turn gives him unbelievable super powers. No, I need a bit more to understand how this kid can now think and act like a nasty bug.

I am also a little wary of the Green Goblin, his arch nemesis. Is it the professor? Or has some alien being taken over the professor's mind and body. And if he is just a mortal, why does he seem to have more lives than a cat?

In Spiderman 3, the Green Goblin is finally out. Don't worry, there are not one but two new bad guys for Superman to deal with. The action gets going right from the opening and doesn't let up throughout the movie (except for one or two touching scenes with M.J.)

Go see Spiderman 3 - or better yet, buy the collection when it is all out on DVD. The series is a timeless masterpiece sure to be remembered forever.