As with most weekends now-a-days, I watched waaaaaaay entirely too many movies.

In Bruges (2008, At the Movies)
I loved it! It’s extremely funny (in a sick way) and shockingly violent in spots … exactly what you would come to expect from a Martin McDonagh movie. All the actors in the movie give really fine performances … especially Colin Farrell who has now really gained some respect from me as an actor. You should check it out!

Cannibal Holocaust (1980, On DVD)
I am fairly certain that I saw this waaaay back in the high school days. So, I decided to give it another watch and all I can say is “Meh.” The film is still pretty controversial and definitely not for you if you happen to find the actually killing of animals on screen distasteful. All the other gore is pretty much “by the books” ’cause you know they weren’t out there slaughtering the actors. Kinda worth seeing just so you can say you sat through it.

Mala Noche (1985, On DVD)
I have a love/hate relationship with the films of Gus Van Sant. I can put “Mala Noche” in the love category. It’s Gus Van Sant‘s first feature film and deals with one of his standard themes (unrequited homo love). Good performances and gritty black and white photography make this an awesome indie feature from the mid-eighties.

Into the Wild (2007, On DVD)
I have some really mixed feelings about this movie. I really liked it (after all it’s based on one of my favorite books) but I also didn’t like some aspects of it. Emile Hirsch is quite good in the lead part and has a solid cast backing him up as the supporting characters. The major problem I had with the movie is that it sometime visually inconsistent in the style of shots, etc. Personally, I don’t think that you should use fancy camera tricks just for the sake of fancy camera tricks … and that’s how some of the movie felt. It might not bother some folks but it did me.

Monster House (2006, On DVD)
I saw this at the movies and finally picked it up on the cheap yesterday at Best Buy. I re-watched it last night and loved it just as much when I saw it the first time. It’s fun (and kinda scary in spots)!

After the Hitchcock films last night I caught up on some Netflix arrivals. “The Nines” was a movie that piqued my interest when it came out at the movies. Of course, it didn’t play anywhere near here. And I think that’s okay. I would have felt totally suckered if I had dropped $8.00 on this movie. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not *terrible* but it’s far from being *great.* Ryan Reynolds is quite good playing the three different characters that inhabit “The Nines.” Where the trouble comes in is when the movie reaches the end and the big explanation. It degenerates into a sloppy pile of religious hooey. And we all know how much I hate religious hooey …