Saw the movie a couple of nights ago and quite enjoyed it.

 

One definitely has to pay attention to the story as it has a slower overall pace to it, with the main people involved played/playing like a game of chess (i.e. - pawns, etc.). Good performance from Gary Oldman ... very much understated ... calm and collected at all turns. Almost too calm, lol. Big fan of Tom Hardy's work, and would recommend him as an actor to anyone (Bronson / Inception / Warrior, etc).

 

I'd give the film a 7.5 / 10 or so, and have not seen the miniseries from decades back, but might one day.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinker_Tailor_Soldier_Spy_(film)

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinker_Tailor_Soldier_Spy

 

Wikipedia - "

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a 2011 Anglo-French espionage film directed by Tomas Alfredson, from a screenplay written by Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan based on the 1974 novel Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré. The film stars Gary Oldman as George Smiley, and co-stars Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, John Hurt, Toby Jones, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch and Ciarán Hinds. Set in London in the early 1970s, the story follows the hunt for a Soviet double agent at the top of the British secret service.

 

The film was produced through the British company Working Title Films and financed by France's StudioCanal. It premiered in competition at the 68th Venice International Film Festival. The film was a critical and commercial success and was the highest-grossing film at the British box office for three consecutive weeks. It received three Academy Award nominations including a Best Actor nomination for Oldman."

 

 

How did others like the show from this past Sunday evening?

 

I found it alright. Mixed reviews have come in for Billy Crystal's hosting gig, although we've got to remember that he was a replacement with Eddie Murphy opting out previously due to previously scheduled producer Brett Ratner making an anti-gay remark during a Q&A event in the latter part of 2011.

 

There weren't too many surprises with the show on the whole - with The Artist and Hugo cleaning up the majority of the key awards. The presenters did a good job, and the performance from the Cirque Du Soleil performers was excellent, and the tribute to those in the industry who have departed within the past year was tastefully done, as expected.  Esperanza Spalding did an excellent job with her song as well which ran during said tribute - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esperanza_Spalding .

 

Some years can be more memorable than others with surprise moments & wins, or wildly exciting acceptance speeches, etc.

Won tickets to the advance screening in Burnaby, B.C. and took my pops. Pretty good turnout at the film for a Thursday night - about 90% full. Good performance from Amanda Seyfried, and the story was based in Portland, Oregon so it was cool seeing the Pacific Northwest portrayed after seeing Chronicle the week prior (which was based in Seattle, Washington). So used to seeing Los Angeles, New York, and overseas locales on the big screen ... so regions closer to home are always a pleasant surprise. My dad found the film hokey, but I'd give it a 6/10 or so ... the occasional decent red herring ... with a young woman trying to track down her sister who goes missing one night, with our protagonist under the impression that she was the intended target given her prior issues.

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1838544/

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gone_(2012_film)

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHtujmoqqnI

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giRMhrOdVzg

 

 

 

 

 

Gone is a thriller film directed by Heitor Dhalia and written by Allison Burnett. The film was released on February 24, 2012 and has been rated PG-13 for violence and terror, some sexual material, brief language and drug references by the MPAA. When her sister disappears, Jill is convinced the serial killer who kidnapped her two years ago has returned, and she sets out to once again face her abductor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saw 'The Secret World of Arriety' this week. It was done by Japanese animators.....very different from the Disney-type of real-real animation. In the Anime style, but not all spikey hairdos and weird eyes. The music was under-stated and very smooth. Not the big crashing symphonic stuff of Hollywood. And it was a sweet story. (I was always fond of the 'Borrowers' books as a kid....about little people who live in the floorboards of the house - this story is from the series).

 

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_secret_world_of_arrietty/

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vp2nb9Vq0yY

 

http://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-secret-world-of-arrietty

 

http://disney.go.com/arrietty/

 

 

"Arrietty (Bridgit Mendler), a tiny, but tenacious 14-year-old, lives with her parents (Will Arnett and Amy Poehler) in the recesses of a suburban garden home, unbeknownst to the homeowner and her housekeeper (Carol Burnett). Like all little people, Arrietty (AIR-ee-ett-ee) remains hidden from view, except during occasional covert ventures beyond the floorboards to "borrow" scrap supplies like sugar cubes from her human hosts. But when 12-year-old Shawn (David Henrie), a human boy who comes to stay in the home, discovers his mysterious housemate one evening, a secret friendship blossoms. If discovered, their relationship could drive Arrietty's family from the home and straight into danger. -- (C) Disney"

 

The Secret World of Arrietty

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoyed the movie and saw it this week and took a pal from work. We made it a Savelander evening as we saw a free movie with ROE passes, and then hit up Starbucks afterward for free coffees with a small gc that was a Christmas present. So that was fun. The movie had plenty of effects, and the crowd (average age of 15 - 40yo or so) were into it. I was hoping for a bit more development with one of the main character's parents, as well as a bit more in regards to the discovery (the 3 high school pals) but other than that it was a fun ride, and has been well-received by moviegoers and critics alike. It was also cool seeing a movie that was Seattle, Washington-based (as that's about 3 hours by car from here) and fun seeing the Pacific Northwest represented on the big screen.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronicle_(film)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-M5Qx57_UU

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/chronicle/reviews/

 

"Chronicle is a 2012 science fiction film directed by Josh Trank and written by Max Landis based on a story by both Trank and Landis. The film stars Dane DeHaan, Michael B. Jordan, and Alex Russell. The plot follows Andrew (DeHaan), his cousin Matt (Russell) and their fellow high school student Steve (Jordan), as they form a close bond after receiving telekinetic abilities from an unknown object. The group use their abilities for mischief and personal gain until Andrew begins to use them for darker purposes. The film is visually presented from the perspective of various video recording devices, primarily from a hand-held camcorder used by Andrew to document the events in his life. The film was released on February 1, 2012 in the United Kingdom and Ireland and was released in the United States on February 3, 2012. It received positive reviews from critics."

The game went well on Sunday, February 5th, 2012.

Both teams brought it and it was competitive throughout with the final score being 21-17 in favour of the New York Giants.

The game aired on both Canadian and American networks, per norm, and later this week it'll be interesting to hear how large a global viewership the game had given they always reach in the hundreds of millions, if not more. The big events of the year (globally) always being the Superbowl, Grammy Awards, and Academy Awards. Keep an eye out for the latter two as they'll both be airing this month (Feb. 12th for the Grammys, and Feb. 26th for the Oscars).

Another thing that always does quite well with the game are the ads ... and the Americans get treated to all the big $ ads which cost the companies quite a bit for their 30-second spots.

Good to see both teams perform well, and nothing better in sports than a championship game that is legitimately competitive as blowouts are never fun and they tend to be stale in comparison.




http://www.nfl.com

http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/46

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl

http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/story/09000d5d826b07b0/article/giants-offensive-game-plan-was-the-difference-in-sb-xlvi?module=HP11_content_stream

Watched the movie on Sunday evening, and enjoyed it. It was available in limited release in 2011, and focuses on the experiences had by Latif Yahia as he's brought in as a body double for Saddam Hussein's troubled, sadistic son Uday. Many troubling experiences play out over time, with the lives of Latif and others around him (including his family back home, as well as his immediate coworkers and fellow staffing) subjected to risks at various turns, and more. Great performances from Dominic Cooper as he played both leads!

 

See Google and Youtube for more footage and articles regarding Uday Hussein, if interested.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Devil's_Double

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhlQOg9abRk

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1270262/

 

http://www.canada.com/entertainment/movie-guide/Review+Devil+Double/5206966/story.html

 

 

Wikipedia - "The Devil's Double is a 2011 action drama film directed by Lee Tamahori and starring Dominic Cooper, Philip Quast, Ludivine Sagnier and Raad Rawi. It was released on January 22, 2011 at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and was released in limited theaters on July 29, 2011 by Lionsgate and Herrick Entertainment.^[2]

Latif Yahia (Dominic Cooper), an Iraqi soldier fighting in the Iran–Iraq War, is called to become a "fedai" ("body double" or political decoy) for Uday Hussein (also played by Cooper), the playboy son of Iraqi president Saddam Hussein (Philip Quast). Latif comes from an upper-class family and had attended school with Uday, where the other students would remark on their likeness. Latif initially refuses the position, but is imprisoned and tortured, ultimately relenting when his family is threatened. Latif undergoes minor cosmetic surgery to perfect his resemblance to Uday and practices emulating the young Hussein's mannerisms and wildly volatile persona. He is given access to all of the luxurious benefits of the Husseins' fortune, including massive palaces, expensive wardrobes and Uday's Ferrari Mondial 3.2 and various other exotic cars. Latif tries to resist Uday's exorbitant merrymaking and erratic behavior, at one point fleeing a nightclub in another of Uday's Ferraris to attempt to see his family, who believe he has died in the war. However, he is apprehended by Uday's bodyguards and beaten. After an appearance at a conference with several Kuwaiti leaders, an attempt is made on Uday's (Latif's) life, apparently by a member of a rebel opposition group, possibly a Kurd. The real Uday, though, is more concerned with the Kuwaitis, who he believes have been slant drilling from Iraq's Rumaila oil field. The First Gulf War is launched with Uday proclaiming 'The Age of the Sheikhs is over!' "