Back on the horse.

Happy New Year, everybody. And I hope you had a good Christmas/Chanukah/Saturnalia. I spent the last days of 2010 recovering from surgery (hernia repair). Then I got the flu. So, yeah, good times.

But it's the first Monday of 2011, so it's time to get back on the horse, ready or not. I am actually excited about 2011, as it is the year Interplanetary will finally hit DVD (and VOD). Also, one of my bands (Delicate Cutters) has a new album coming out (probably around the same time as the Interplanetary DVD). And I'm planning to shoot a feature with Trap, finish up that anthology thing from last year, and write a story for non-filmic media (though I'll probably turn that story into a screenplay at some point).


On top of all of that, I'm going to try to watch more movies and blog more. Or at least mention the movies I watch on this blog. In that spirit...

Watched on January 1...

Femme Fatale: mostly inconsequential/completely entertaining noir homage from Brian DePalma.

Passenger 57: both worse (some of the dialog) and better (some of the action set pieces) than I remembered. Also: always bet on black.

Wild Wild West: didn't finish this one. It's about as bad as everybody says, though even a bad Sonnenfield movie has some visual charms.

Watched on January 2...

Cyrus: I guess Greenberg and Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World didn't kill mumblecore. Cyrus isn't terrible, but that "indie dramedy" aesthetic just irritates the hell out of me.

Stones in Exile: by the numbers examination of the making of an incredible album (the Stones' Exile on Main Street). The subject matter easily trumps the filmic shortcomings.

Poltergeist: hadn't seen this one in years. And the Netflix streaming version was cropped from 'scope to 1.78:1. Still, a fun 80s Spielberg (he produced, apparently in a very hands-on manner) flick. And I love the 80s cinematography and special effects.

If you're a Netflix fan (and you should be--at $8/month it's the best entertainment value out there), check out InstantWatcher.com. It's a great site for keeping track of what's available to "Watch Instantly."