Fall Clearing Out The Notebook

I keep a notebook by my TV to take notes on the films I am watching.

For many of the films I watch, they never get past the note taking process. So, to clear out my notebook, here are some of those films that didn’t warrant full reviews. Not to say they are all horrible, but I don't get around to writing up full reviews.

WHEN STAND UP STOOD OUT - This was a documentary on Boston area stand up comedy between the years 1978-1985. Very interesting look at the scene, with comics like Lenny Clarke, Kevin (“You’re acting like a crazy person”) Meeney, Steven Wright, Bobcat Goldthwait, and Denis Leary among others. I often think documentaries about the art of stand up are as interesting as stand up itself. It is a craft that is under-appreciated.

27 DRESSES - I marked that I saw it, I remember the poster for it, but that was about it.

THE SOUND BARRIER - Excellent early David Lean film.

CASTLE KEEP - Sydney Pollack’s first film. A war film. No notes on it and I barely remember it.

I WANT SOMEONE TO EAT CHEESE WITH - Jeff Garlin’s film about being single. Really liked this one. I remember thinking it was one of Sarah Silverman’s best roles.

THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY - No memory other than wondering why the documentary of the same name and featuring footage of the same man wasn’t included on the DVD.

JACKASS 2.5 - Direct to DVD sequel, or it can be better described as just a feature length collection of deleted scenes. If you are a fan of the gang, worth seeing. I just found myself shocked that Paramount would release such extreme material. And shocked that I found myself laughing as much as I did. This is normally not my type of humor, but something about these guys makes it work.

WHAT WOULD JESUS BUY - Pretty terrible, and even offensive, documentary on consumerism. Especially painful when the subject of the film goes to Disneyland and harasses parkgoers for going to Disneyland. A great documentary could be made on the subject, but this was cheap and gimmicky.

FIRST SUNDAY - All I remember about this comedy about people robbing a church is that I returned it to Netflix and Netflix claims they didn’t receive it (even though it was sent in the same envelope as a DVD they DID receive).

P.S. I LOVE YOU - Hillary Swank’s dead husband sends her letters, or something like that. Other than the scenes set in Ireland, can’t say I cared for it.

UNTRACEABLE - Diane Lane’s cyberthriller. I THINK I kind of liked it, but it wasn’t all that believable.

SURVIVING EDEN - Mockumentary that I saw on Netflix’s “Watch It Now” service starring Cheri Oteri, who was very funny. I don’t remember anything other than that.

BATTLE BEYOND THE SUN - Another “Watch It Now” film, this is Francis Ford Coppolla’s early re-editing of a Russian film. My note on it was “nothing”.

YOU ARE HERE - An indie comedy, also under "watch it now". It made me realize that there is a difference between an independent film and a boring no budget film that anyone can make. This is the latter. I couldn’t make it through it.

SEMI-PRO - Will Ferrell’s basketball comedy. Loved Kristen Wiig in her one scene. But the film didn’t work. It didn’t need the Maura Tierney subplot.

SABRINA - The Sydney Pollack remake of the Billy Wilder classic. I’ve held off for years watching this, as I loved the original. Surprisingly, it wasn’t that bad. It was well done. Completely unnecessary as the original is still available, but not an embarrassment.

BOARDING GATE - Imagine one of the BOURNE IDENTITY films with no action, no suspense, and no narrative drive to it and you would have this film, with Asia Argento. Extremely dull.

SUPERGIRL - Rewatched this one. Just as bad as it was when I saw it in theatres. And not in a good way.

CARAMEL - A film from Beirut about a beauty parlor. Most notable for the fact that it was written and directed by its star, Nadine Labaki. As for the film, can’t remember much.

REMEMBER THE DAZE - No I don’t. The title is all I wrote down, so I barely remember anything about this DAZED AND CONFUSED influenced high school film.

DEFINITELY MAYBE - I was rather shocked by this Ryan Reynolds film, where he tells his daughter about all the different women in his life (Elizabeth Banks, Isla Fisher, Rachel Weisz). Shocked that this is honestly one of the better films of the year.

THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES - “No magic” was my only note.

IN BRUGES - Wanted to love this one. It does have one of my favorite lines of the year (Colin Farrell’s exclamation “They’re filming midgets!!”) but it didn’t work for me. Not a bad film, it is just I had heard such great things.

PERSEPOPLIS - The animated film. I liked the animation, but didn’t get into the story.

HONEYDRIPPER - The John Sayles blues film. I usually love John Sayles, but really wasn’t in the mood for this when I got it, and didn’t give it much of a chance.

PENELOPE - The Christina Ricci with a pig nose film. My note: “ok”

STEP UP 2 THE STREETS - My note “Is Baltimore the dancingest city in the country?” After this, and HAIRSPRAY, everyone must sing and dance down the streets all day long. This film was not any good though.

DOOMSDAY - “MAD MAX in drag” (or is that "in the dark", can’t read my writing)”ugly, boring, medieval”.

BABY MAMA - Too much going on in this one, with the subplots with Greg Kinnear and Steve Martin, but Amy Poehler is very funny.

And I think that is it. I can clear out my notebook and start over.