Stuff seen recently

I caught a few movies over the past week or so, and here are some brief observations on what I thought of them. Enjoy!

1962's Lonely Are the Brave (seen via a Netflix DVD) is a terrific Kirk Douglas movie about a mildly unlawful but basically likable cowboy having a really tough time making it in the modern world. Gena Rowlands and Walter Matthau lend great supporting performances to the proceedings, as does Douglas's wonderful horse.

2009's The Unborn is a well-crafted, genuinely creepy horror film about a young woman being haunted by her twin who died next to her in the womb, or more specifically, by the evil spirit who tried to unsuccessfully inhabit the twin and is now gunning for the young woman. Also saw this via Netflix.

George Romero's Survival of the Dead (2009) is an okay horror film about two feuding families living on an island off the coast of Delaware, and how the zombie apocalypse is complicating their feud. This odd but watchable film is the latest in the director's "Dead" series. I saw this via a DVD that a friend lent to me, and didn't like it quite as much as Diary of the Dead, the previous film in the series. Still, it's worth a look for horror fans.

My wife and I braved the icy roads and took in The King's Speech at a local theater this past weekend. Longer review to follow, but for now I'll tell you that we found the movie to be fascinating, intelligent and very moving. We highly recommend the film, especially to those who hold out for high-quality fare when it comes to the inconvenience and expense of traipsing out to the movie theater.

Fun time

Barbara Allan's Trash 'n' Treasures cozy mystery series is a good bet when you're in the mood for light and flighty mystery fun. Antiques Maul, the second book in the series (it follows Antiques Roadkill), is no exception. Was an ex-math teacher turned antiques mall proprietor mauled to death by her pet pit bull, or is the truth a bit more complicated? Brandy Borne and her ex-husband, son, and mother are thrust into the mystery at hand, and are going to discover the truth whether they want to or not.

The whole affair is lighter than it sounds, with many goofy asides (especially by Brandy's mom). Preventing the series from totally tipping over into light frothiness is the fact that Brandy is still haunted by the serious mistake that cost her her marriage and sent her packing home to mother for rest and recuperation. I like that aspect of the series... who says a light cozy mystery series can't have a touch of darkness and edge?

Barbara Allan is, of course, the pseudonym of the husband and wife writing team of Max Allan Collins and Barbara Collins. Knowing of Mr. Collin's razor-sharp, to-the-point, and often violent mysteries (nothing cozy about them), it's kind of fun to see him work (and quite nicely, too) in a genre known for eccentric characters and frequent silliness. Though I only occasionally read cozy mysteries, I'm sure I'll return to the world of Brandy Borne before too long and see what's up with her and her crazy family.

I purchased and enjoyed Antiques Maul on my Kindle for $4.76. The e-book edition includes a generous excerpt from the third book in the series, Antiques Flee Market.

Relaxed about things

I don't get nearly as excited about the Oscar nominations as I used to. More and more, I simply like what I like and don't care all that much whether personal favorites get official recognition. Still, from time to time little bits of news please me.

Today, for example, it was nice to see Jeff Bridges get nominated for Best Actor for the second year in a row, for his work in True Grit; he won last year for Crazy Heart. I like Jeff Bridges (I enjoyed him in Tron: Legacy back in December) and it would be fun if he becomes the first actor since Tom Hanks to win Best Actor twice in a row.

But I better get crackin'... I've yet to see either Crazy Heart or True Grit. It'd be nice to have them under my belt before the February 27 Oscarcast. Yes, despite my more relaxed attitude about the world of film, I still enjoy watching the Oscars every year, and both films are sure to be discussed by all the pundits during all the pre-show festivities.

Oscar noms

Here are this year's ten nominated films for Best Picture, as announced this morning by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The winner will be announced on Sunday evening, February 27.

1. Black Swan

2. The Fighter

3. Inception

4. The Kids Are All Right

5. The King's Speech

6. 127 Hours

7. The Social Network

8. Toy Story 3

9. True Grit

10. Winter's Bone

I have some work to do between now and the award's telecast, if I want to see all the nominated films prior to the show. At this point, I've only seen four of the nominated films (Black Swan, Inception, The Social Network, and Toy Story 3). Of the remaining six, all are films that I wouldn't mind seeing, with slight reservations laid at the feet of 127 Hours (as I hear the self-amputation scene is really hard to watch).

What do you think of this year's nominations?

Bond is back

Pictured here is the cover of the U.S. edition of Carte Blanche, the new James Bond novel by popular thriller writer Jeffery Deaver. To be released in the United Kingdom on May 26 and in the U.S. on June 14, the book reboots the intepid agent 007 as a fresh new intelligence operative in the present day, similar to what the 2006 Film Casino Royale did to the world's most famous spy.

And speaking of the films, the next James Bond film now has an official release date: November 9, 2012. Still untitled, the film will see the return of Daniel Craig as James Bond, with directing duties performed by Academy Award winner Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Road to Perdition).

More to shortly follow on the James Bond literary and film front. There's some fresh, interesting stuff going on for a franchise that's been around for so long.

Monday puns

Presented especially for my readers with more than a few working brain cells, here are some goofy but somewhat literate puns from around the 'net. I don't know why I included a picture of Homer Simpson with this post, as he probably wouldn't smirk at any of these.

An Indian chief was feeling very sick, so he summoned the medicine man. After a brief examination, the medicine man took out a long, thin strip of elk rawhide and gave it to the chief, telling him to bite off, chew, and swallow one inch of the leather every day. After a month, the medicine man returned to see how the chief was feeling. The chief shrugged and said, "The thong is ended, but the malady lingers on."

* * *

A famous Viking explorer returned home from a voyage and found his name missing from the town register. His wife insisted on complaining to the local civic official, who apologized profusely, saying, "I must have taken Leif off my census."

* * *

There were three Indian squaws. One slept on a deer skin, one slept on an elk skin, and the third slept on a hippopotamus skin. All three became pregnant. The first two each had a baby boy. The one who slept on the hippopotamus skin had twin boys. This just goes to prove that the squaw of the hippopotamus is equal to the sons of the squaws of the other two hides.

Dear Diary

2008's Diary of the Dead is a little seen but pretty good zombie movie, utilizing the "found footage" and "characters making a movie on the run" genre of thriller film making popularized by movies like The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield. Set in the initial days of a zombie apocalypse (it's mostly left up to the viewer whether director George Romero is re-booting his zombie universe or simply choosing to set this story in the early days of the same timeline he's been exploring for years, with a little artistic license to allow for the use of cell phone cameras, social networking sites, and other modern communication conveniences), we follow a group of students and their professor as they try to make sense of the dead now coming back to life.

The student characters are mostly whiny and annoying, but no more so than similar characters seen in other horror movies (besides, don't unlikable characters often make for the most satisfying death scenes?). Conversely, the professor character is kind of fun, as his main concern seems to be whether the group's latest hideout at any given time has a fully-stocked bar. I think I would worry about a bar, too, if I was on the run from zombies.

Diary of the Dead is slick, fast, doesn't overstay its welcome, and features lots of creepy zombie action (though some of the CGI effects are better than others). The movie looks sharp and clean on standard DVD, and the DVD features a generous amount of special features. While perhaps not up to the classic standard set by his initial zombie films (1968's Night of the Living Dead, 1978's Dawn of the Dead, and 1985's Day of the Dead), the tension, scares, and raw immediacy of Diary of the Dead definitely make it worth a look.