...In which our heroine does some quick hit reviews.

In the order that I saw them:

The Strangers

Went to see this a few weeks ago at midnight with a packed house. What a great horror film--nothing fancy, not gory or overly violent, just subtle scary little tricks. The theatre was shouting the whole time and most of the group I was with watched through their hands. Horror movies do not scare me as a general rule, except for Candyman and Audition. Oh but this one did. With the blank faced killers and the true story-ness of it all, I was terrified. If it wasn't for Nate's commentary to keep me laughing, it could have been ugly. As for negatives, the movie is a little overacted and things like Wilco vinyl at the ready and the usual cliched deaths/ending keep it from being great. Still an effective, scary movie. I reccomend.

Grade: B

Sex and the City

I had low expectations for this hot mess and I was greatly suprised. If you watched the show, you'll like the movie. Its basically all of the good things from the show rolled into one big episode. Kristen Davis and Cynthia Nixon finally get to show that they can act, Kim Cattrall does cougar well still, and SJP is boring as ever. Still it is a faithful transition of the show, full of relationship and fashion porn. I didn't even hate the addtion of Jennifer Hudson as Carrie's assisstant. The movie was like the show--pretty good with a few too many over the top theatrics, but a heart in the right place. Most significantly, the movie is waaay too long, at almost two and a half hours.

Grade: B

A Clockwork Orange

I can't believe it took me so long to see this. But now that I have, it is an instant favorite. I was amazed at how current the film felt, although it was made in 1971, and also how risque it was. It is totally understandable how this caused (and still causes) an uproar. Alex DeLarge is a wonderful antihero, and he and his iconic droogs are gleefully debauched. I'm not going to summarize it, because I feel like I'm the last person ever to see this movie, but I really enjoyed the overall look and feel of the film, in addition to its comments on society and the individual. Apparently the film ends too soon but I loved it all the same.

Grade: A

Into the Wild

I was familiar with the story of Christopher McCandless and his trek into the Alaskan wilderness that led ultimately to his death. Sean Penn is an interesting director (I highly reccomend his first film, The Indian Runner, featuring an outstanding early performance by Viggo Mortensen) and this film was a good choice for him. The cinematography is absolutely goregous and the landscapes of America become a character. The film is quite well-acted, and lead Emile Hirsch proves that he is one of the best young actors in the biz. This isn't always an easy film to watch, especially the scenes of McCandless' last days in Alaska, but one that makes you feel that life really is what you make it. As much as Eddie Vedder (who kissed me) annoys me now, his music really adds to the film. I don't think this is a tragic film but instead quite life affirming one. Sean Penn needs to direct more. I didn't however, think that the roles of Catherine Keener and Hal Holbrook were substantial enough to warrant the awards acclaim they recieved.

Grade: A-