I was beginning to think the morning was turning into a disaster. On the rare occasions we tolerate a theater environment, we normally go across town to the well-regarded Ultrastar Cinemas. They were an early adopter of exclusively presenting movies digitally, have good seating and reasonable matinee specials. Today though either their scheduling was botched or their manager couldn’t/wouldn’t handle a group overstaying its welcome. We were kept waiting in the lobby until the scheduled showtime, then sent down the hallway to the scheduled theater to find it occupied by a group doing its Sunday morning meeting, and were eventually herded to another screen back near the lobby. Being nearly first in the queue for our original screen left us near the back of the herd for our final destination, with seats that matched even on a Sunday morning matinee.

But once the movie started the irritation subsided. Quantum of Solace rocked. The pace was fast – certainly faster than any Bond movie I can remember. The story was solid though, and without naming anyone by name, very timely in its slam on certain American agencies at the end of the Bush era. Not that I indulge in escapist fantasies like Bond films for reality, I’ll even say they nailed the portrayal of rural Bolivia on the altiplano, though the city the producers called La Paz clearly wasn’t. Not even close. I’ve since learned they substituted Panama City during filming.

Really liking that, as in Casino Royale, Judy Dench’s M is becoming a more central and complete character instead the empty suit it was with prior Bonds. I think seeing more of the M-Bond relationship certainly adds something to an appreciation of the Bond character. If you want to catch the cool gadgets this time around, forget Bond himself and keep an eye on M.

We finally caught The Dark Knight at a matinee today.  Wow, did that live up to its hype.  The only negative I’d mention would be to echo Kyle’s review that it seemed to be a movie and a quarter. 

While Heath Ledger’s performance was as brilliant as the hype has it, I think more of the suspense came for me from the anticipation of the tragedy of Harvey Dent.  As with Anakin Skywalker before him, it’s tough watching a character and growing to like a character when you have certain knowledge about what a character’s going to become. 

What better for a slacker day leading into Pyromania Weekend than a movie trailer.  A movie trailer with shooting, chases, and Bond, James Bond, at that.  [via]  Counting the days until November 7.

Loved the matinee of Kung Fu Panda this morning almost as much as my lunchtime devotional reading from the local House of Wontonism.

There is excitement to be found wherever you go [in bed]

 Been a big fan of pandas for years, even though I think the whole ‘endangered on the brink of extinction’ schtick is getting a little old.  No, no brer zookeeper, no more forced breeding…and peel the next batch of bamboo shoots a little more carefully, please.  Roughage is important to species recovery.

Jack Black and the folks at Dreamworks took it to the next level though.  As a Samurai Jack fan I got all excited during the initial dream sequence, but that was nothing compared what I felt from the artistry of the main movie.  NSFW at all.  Even if there hadn’t been a good story and cool characters, I could’ve just drifted through the landscape panoramas for a few hours and still walked out of the theater satisfied.  Life is about the snacks, with or without a secret ingredient.

Nice weekend of absolutely no business.  Just personal. 

June is shaping up to be a great month.

Both Shelter and Harold and Kumar rock, and I appreciate the fine folks at the post office who dropped them on our doorstep yesterday.

Surprised by how many of the beaches and surf spots we recognized in Shelter, and thankful that our summer mission is now to identify those we didn’t.  Having goals is good.

Diego is an amazing little puppy, but sometimes he’s just clumsy.

Pork chops with thyme, lemon and pesto will be eaten shortly.

I’ve seen two movies so far this weekend: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.  One was outstanding and one was so-so.  I think it boils down to understanding that where Spielberg can tell a story, some other people know little more than how to pay a lot of money for CGI and slap a classic title on the result.  Where Karen Allen stole every scene she was in, even the actor in the title role of Prince Caspian (whoever he was) looked as bored as I felt and as stiff as my back was after two and one-half hours in that theater seat.  And while no one destroys a bad guy’s body as coolly as in an Indiana Jones flick (from the melting Nazis in the Lost Ark to the aging Nazis in the Last Crusade to the rampaging ants in Crystal Skull), Narnia’s creators really need to understand that Kenneth Branagh did the soldiers-and-archers battle scene better 19 years ago in Henry V, probably with a tiny fraction of the special effects budget. 

Sure Indiana Jones had a few cutsey moments, and even got in audible groan in my theater when Mutt tried to wear the iconic fedora, but it entertained.  Me likey. 

New, to me at least, Doctor Who on SciFi.  I know this was the Christmas special in the UK a few months back (over the holidays, duh) but I didn’t catch it until last night.  Wasn’t that impressed after all the hype of the Doctor’s holiday specials over the years, but I did like the bit with the Queen and her puppies evacuating London.

 New Battlestar (awesome episode) on Friday.  Loved the airlock scene.

Caught Forgetting Sarah Marshall at a matinee Saturday.  Great movie.  Loved that they didn’t try and rehabilitate the Kristen Bell characater and instead just kept bringing out more and more reasons to detest her, and really loved the puppets.  I’m not sure I would have appreciated that part as much if I hadn’t seen Avenue Q last summer, but it worked for me yesterday and that’s what counts.

Season finale of Torchwood last night.  This season kind of meandered a bit, and without spoiling things too much, the ending will hopefully lead to an opportunity to get it back on track.  Also, JACK’S EVIL BROTHER!!  I think that’s all I’ll say about him here.

I know it got some mixed reviews, but I loved Jumper this morning.  Maybe it’s just the way my life’s been going lately, and that an escapist fantasy with some good Samuel L. Jackson kickass violence was the comfort viewing I happened to need right now, but I thought it was a good movie.  Nice story, great visuals, cool effects.  No Oscars™ on the horizon except maybe for some special effects, but good high-energy fun with just a splash of eye candy and an ending left wide-open for a sequel. 

Just caught the trailer for Arctic Tale.  At least from the trailer it looks like a great movie and worthy successor March of the Penguins.  Of course, though, I have a weak spot for polar bears, and quite literally have sat and watched them for hours on end.  Would’ve linked to their website, but the whole thing had way too much Flash for my level of patience on a Monday morning, and one can’t reward such behavior without encouraging more of the same.

In the fifth row of the theater waiting for the midnight screening of Harry Potter to start. I am such a geek. An old geek.
[Via BlackBerry]