The Hills Have Eyes (2006)

And I wanted to pull out my own eyes after watching this movie. It's fucking horrible. Just horrible. And not in a good way.

Thank You For Smoking

Here is a movie that is appalling and hilarious at the same time. The only reason this movie works is because Aaron Eckhart plays the fast talking lobbyist with just enough subtlety that he doesn't turn into a cartoon character. Though some of the moments felt like a pompous inside joke (see the scene about... ironically enough, about the inside joke), most of the scenes are brilliant. I especially like the meetings of the "Merchants of Death" or "Mod Squad", and watch in horror on the body count just piles up. A fine piece of black humor.

Memoirs of a Geisha

I don't know what I was thinking taking so long in seeing this movie. It is unbelievable. Maybe I thought the idea of Ziyi Zhang in an English speaking movie was a little disturbing. Didn't matter... she was just as mesmerising as in anything else she's been in. The cinematography was stunning, the art direction deep and lush, and the story I found to be quite gripping. I almost didn't want to send this movie back to Netflix. :(

The Notorious Bettie Page

I am a fan of Bettie Page. I have been for a very long time. Before her image was put on throw pillows at Hot Topic. I knew from the very moment I heard this movie was being made... I'd either love it or hate it.





But thankfully, they pulled it off.

I read the book on which the movie is based, and it follows it well, giving it an authentic '50's feel. Gretchen Mol portrays the eerily resilient pin-up through her life of turmoil and triumph, and executes Bettie's poses with such accuracy its almost spooky. I read a review that said they had wished the movie followed Bettie into her later years, but I disagree. They are certainly not pretty, and would should embrace the icon that was left behind.