Though not entirely new (remember 80s film Electric Dreams? I didn’t think so), the concept of romance between a man and his computer is somewhat intriguing (and so clearly inspired by all those people turned-on by the voice of iPhone’s “Siri”). Writer-director Spike Jonze’s version puts Joaquin Phoenix at the heart of this boy-meets-OS tale,…
Category: Movies
Movie #3: Ender’s Game
I’m the first to admit that I did not love Orson Scott Card’s seminal sci-fi novel on which this movie was based. It was well-written, but I didn’t enjoy the brutal bullying and could never buy into how “mature” these pre-teen characters were supposed to be. The story of Ender Wiggin begins with Earth having…
Movie #2: About Time
I may not be a fan of romantic comedy, but I make exception for the British take on the boy-meets-girl movie. The blend of dry wit with heart-warming sentimentality has made writer-director Richard Curtis a master of these movies, having been responsible for some of my faves such as Notting Hill, Four Weddings and a…
Movie #1: World War Z
Once again, the movies on my watch-list have piled up and I need to spend another summer catching up. Where to begin… well, while I love science fiction in general, there are only two subgenres of sci-fi that I don’t love: zombies and post-apocalyptic survival. So, it is either foolish or maybe gutsy that I…
X-Men: Days of Future Past – Movie Review
I’ve been a fan of the X-Men for a long time (ever since weather-mutant Storm made a cameo on 80s cartoon, Spider-man and His Amazing Friends) and I keep waiting for the perfect X-Men movie that captures all that I love about this comic-book super-team. With all the very positive buzz around X-Men: Days of…
Veronica Mars – Movie Review
A long time ago, we used to be friends but I haven’t thought of you lately at all. As much as I like the trademark lyrics of the Veronica Mars theme song, I can’t say that I haven’t thought about the eponymous Miss Mars lately at all since I just re-watched the entire series in…
Oscar Schmoscar 2014
This year, I wasn’t sure that I’d have an “Oscar Schmoscar” post as I had hardly seen any of the major nominees. I don’t know why this year seemed to be the year of “individuals going through incredibly difficult ordeals”. From being adrift in space, to being held hostage by pirates, to being abducted and…
The Lego Movie – Movie Review
At first I thought The Lego Movie was going to be like the Lego series of video games where you’re basically watching characters from Star Wars or Harry Potter re-enact their adventures using simulated Lego pieces and minifigs instead of their normal selves and environments. The Lego Movie definitely has a big action-adventure storyline where…
Looking forward to 2014 Movies
As the harsh winter sends us all scurrying indoors, I’m looking forward to some promising movies in the first half of 2014. Don’t be too disappointed in me if the vast majority of these are sequels, prequels, or adaptations. They’re the ones that I know more of what to expect (I’ve been well-trained by the…
Alvin's Adventures in Pop Culture 