I would never have the wherewithall to create my own blogging page, so I joined the ranks of Barnson.org, just to state my humble opinion. I have in one way or another contributed countless hours to debating matt on this here website, so I figured I’d step forward and introduce myself.
Hi.
That being said, I’ve been enjoying a conversation with many of my friends and family about the Summer Movie Saeon this year, and have been lamenting the lack of excitement present in this movie season.
It was only a year ago when STAR WARS came out 2 weeks after Spider-Man and kicked off one of the most successful summers in Movie History. After a summer of Men in Black, Austin Powers, and the like, I was already prepping for a year or fun fun fun.
Right around November, my faith was shattered by STAR TREK: NEMESIS, which not only was a depressing dark rusty razor blade of a film, but bombed after coming in 2nd on its opening weekend and then being steamrolled by a deserving and incredible LORD OF THE RINGS.
BUT: After DAREDEVIL’S guilty goodness, March and Oscar Season rolled around, it was all about Chicago, and I sat waiting patiently for the SUMMER MOVIE SEASON to begin.
Well, after skipping THE CORE (along with the rest of America) ANGER MANAGEMENT started things off with more of a pop than a bang.. But X2: XMEN UNITED ripped the theatre screens apart with adamantium goodness, and I was set for the summer of PURE COOLNESS…
Until THE MATRIX RELOADED, which gave me about 40 minutes of cool and 90 minutes of scratching my head, wondering who thought a Rave, a Sex Scene, and what looked like a badly animated video game was doing in this movie I had so hotly anticipated.
Undaunted, I was relieved to find some humor in BRUCE ALMIGHTY, some neat twists in THE ITALIAN JOB, but was immediately subjected to the abject Horror that was CHARLIE’S ANGELS FULL THROTTLE.
I found some scares in 28 DAYS LATER, but snored through the ridiculous HULK, and Skipped LXG altogether. DUmb got dumberer without me, although I was there to see Bad Boys get bloodier.
And what I saw was okay..like the moldy twice warmed over piece of AMERICAN PIE.. I mean Wedding.. and the WOMB.. that is TOMB raider sequel.
I skipped NEMO and SEABISCUIT, but hear they’re good, and I’ll watch them on video..
And the highlights post X2 were T3 and PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN (okay and FREDDY VS JASON.. but thats personal).. both of which were really fun and really good, and I liked.. but..
Well, its just I remember standing in line for CLONES and SPIDEY and AUSTIN, and I remember great summers past..And this year an animated fish stole the show in a movie everyone who saw it agrees is, well, pretty good.
I miss my big summer excitement, and I hope next year, Harry Potter and SPIDEY 2 and THE PUNISHER can restore my faith.. until then, I guess I’ll keep trying to find internet trailers for THE TWO TOWERS and REVOLUTIONS and ELF… maybe Christmas is the best season for giving after all..
Didnt’ see it…
“STAR TREK: NEMESIS”: Didn’t see it. Finally saw it on video. Sucked. “DAREDEVIL”: Didn’t see it, wife doesn’t want to see it. The combination of X-MEN and UNBREAKABLE made her swear off comic movies for life I guess (though she enjoys Spider-Man). “THE CORE”: Didn’t see it. “ANGER MANAGEMENT”: Didn’t see it. “X2: XMEN UNITED”: Didn’t see it. Yet. “THE MATRIX RELOADED”: Didn’t see it. “BRUCE ALMIGHTY”: Didn’t see it. “THE ITALIAN JOB”: Didn’t see it. “CHARLIE’S ANGELS FULL THROTTLE”: Didn’t see it. “28 DAYS LATER”: Didn’t see it. “HULK”: Saw it. Sucked. “Bad Boys II”: Didn’t see it. “AMERICAN WEDDING”: Didn’t see it.
I’m sensing a theme here 🙂 “TOMB raider sequel”: Didn’t see it.
“I skipped NEMO and SEABISCUIT”: Saw it. Both of them. On the big screen. “T3”: Didn’t see it. “PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN”: Saw it. Rocked. Wife loves it too, it’s a “buyer” and a “see it in the theatre”. “FREDDY VS JASON”: Didn’t see it.
Two Towers: Got the DVD the day it came out.
We’re heavy renters. So your lineup of blockbusters will be what we see next summer!
The Big Cinema or Home Cinema ?
In 98′ we invested in our first Home Theatre system since we had been married. I have had one in the past, but due to bad judgements i had went from having a good start in life to losing almost everything but the shirt on my back (a good story for another time). This Home Theatre we purchased was a simple one. One of the Theatre in a box types. We found it for a good price at the PX while we were stationed in Panama. Since then my Home theatre has greatly improved. Rarely will you find us going to the theatre to see a movie. I can honestly say that since 98′ we probably have gone to the theatre 5 or 6 times.
<--!break--> My belief in home theatre was solidified when I took a day off from work a couple years ago to take Elizabeth (my 5 year old) to see a matinee(sp) of Monsters Inc. Awesome movie. I have the boot-leg (Thank you Morpheous) and the collectors edition DVD. We got to the theatre and it was $6 / ticket. so between my wife, daughter, and myself… $18. Then the additional 5 or 6 we spent at the concession stand. over $20 to see a matinee. Crazy when i bought the DVD for $15.99. granted I have not purchased my big screen yet. but even still my 30+” screen does well and i have the same sound as you would get in the theatre. So When movies are released onto video, it is like opening weekend for us. Some of the movies of this summer that stand out are…
Phone Booth (Colin Ferrell) – It was an ok movie, i am glad it ended when it did.
Basic (John Travolta) – Good Movie, I love me a good Military Movie.
Tears fo the Sun – Bought it… Amazing movie.. if you like War movies, you’ll love this one.
Shanghai knights – Dumbest movie. The previews made the movie look funny… They were very mis-leading
Chicago (Catherine Zeta Jones) – (bought it) Damn good play, and a nice movie adaptation.
LOR – 2 towers – bought it – Another great movie
The list of movies goes on forever. We typically rent about 2 a week. I purchase alot of the movies i like. Most if them have been recent movies that have come out. I have not gotten to a point of going back to get alot of the movies that i want for my collection, although i have acquired some as i come across deals. It is my addiction. Some people have tremendous libraries of books, mine just happens to be movies. I think at last count my DVD collection is around 115 or so. Not sure about VHS. We have been passing our VHS tapes to my mother-in-law as we re-purchase them on DVD. I only have a select few Laser Discs. I purchased the LD player almost a year ago so i could play some of the LD that i am acquiring and had already acquired. I am getting some of the clasic movies that were released on LD that have not made it to DVD yet. Titles like the Indiana jones trilogy (which is coming to DVD in October) was released in LD. The original Star Wars, Then i found good deals on some titles that are just neat to have. Movies like The Rocky Horror Picture Show are just fun to have.
I am happy that there is still an audience that enjoys going out to the theatre, unfortunately for teh studios, my money comes when it hit the store shelfs.