I knew they were making a Lemony Snicket movie, but I didn’t realize Jim Carrey was playing Count Olaf! Check out the trailer. It looks… interesting. I think he looks the part but I didn’t really imagine the Count being so goofy. In the books I read (the first four), he was very creepy and scary and menacing. That’s part of the reason I didn’t like them so much. I don’t like scary stories! But other than the goofiness, this looks like it good be a good film. I hope they keep the books’ warped sense of humor. And how funny is it that Jude Law is providing the voice of Lemony Snicket?! (Link courtesy of Kevin.)
Category: Movies
-
The Movie Show moves to ABC…
Shock! Horror! The hosts of SBS’s Movie Show, David Stratton and Margaret Pomeranz, have defected to the ABC! To an Aussie, this is pretty much as big a deal as when Letterman jumped to CBS.
-
NZ
Planning a trip to New Zealand anytime soon? I think the Snook and I are definitely going to have to check out these Lord of the Rings filming locations.
-
Harry Potter Casting News
Emma Thompson will play Sybil Trelawney, Harry’s dreaded Divinations teacher, in Prisoner of Azkaban. Cool. I kinda pictured Sybil as older, but I’m sure Emma will be able to pull it off. (Luckily Gilderoy’s not around in this one, huh?) Although, what’s this about the movie not coming out til next June? I thought we could expect it this year, same as the last two. Damn.
Edited 12/04/2025: Link is dead and not archived
-
Japanese Story
Tonight I saw Japanese Story, a new Australian film starring Toni Collette. I’m not sure I can say anything meaningful about it without giving everything good away. As the director says, “Some people have just gone, like, you know, I don’t get it and I don’t even want to get it, you know? And then some people go, you know, thanks, I got it.” I think I fall somewhere in the middle. But sometimes it’s good, you know, to not “get” every single thing. I’m still thinking about it. I’d definitely recommend it.
-
Geek Nirvana
Oh yes. The Snook and I will be extras in Star Wars, if I have to lie, steal, cheat, or even kill to get us in. (Can you tell I watched Gone With the Wind last weekend?) How frickin’ cool would that be? I’m sending in our details right now.
-
Monday night the Snook and I went to see Nowhere in Africa, winner of the Oscar for Best Foreign Film. It’s about a family of German Jews who flee to Kenya during the second World War. I wouldn’t really categorize it as a Holocast movie though. It was about a family way out of their element and how each member adapts to his surroundings. The story is great and the scenery is amazing. I cried at the end when Owuor left with Rummler. Ebert also gave it a glowing review. I highly recommend it, if you can find it playing anywhere near you.
-
Birth of a Nation
Ebert has posted the second part of his review of Birth of a Nation. I think he makes some good points about why it’s worthwhile to study art that is considered objectionable by today’s audiences. In Griffith’s time, people glossed over the racism and gasped at his cinematic innovations. Nowadays it’s the reverse, but that doesn’t mean the film shouldn’t be studied and understood within context.
-
Ebert
Ebert is embroiled in the debate over Bowling for Columbine‘s accuracy. Interesting stuff.