Super-heroes and arch-villains

7/20/08

Iron Man
Directed by Jon Favreau

Yes, TVOR knows that the Bat movie opened this weekend. She's planning to see it, but is going to wait until the hubbub dies down a little. There are options, however. Viewers can visit theaters for almost private showings of Iron Man, which has been out since early May. And that's not a bad way to spend a couple of hours. The movie has several good things going for it--a story that makes sense (in the super-hero movie way of making sense), a well-written script, and good actors who are encouraged to act--playing characters, interacting with each other, that kind of thing. The special effects are fine, too, but that's sort of expected these days. It's nice that in Iron Man, they don't get carried away with them. Those good actors include Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, and Terrence Howard. This is a super-hero movie that works even for people who usually don't like super-hero movies. Like TVOR. Yes, it's safe to go. And there are no lines.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
Directed and co-written by Joss Whedon

This is not actually a movie. It's an internet thing. Although it's not actually a blog. And it isn't a sing-along, either, though there is a lot of singing. You'll probably just enjoy it more if you're not singing yourself. Joss Whedon, the creator of TV shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and others that inspire a devoted following, created Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog as a piece of internet entertainment. It's a tale in three acts, in musical form, coming in at a total of a little over 40 minutes. It tells the story of an aspiring arch-villain named Dr. Horrible, and his efforts to get into an elite club of baddies called the Evil League of Evil. Dr. Horrible also has to deal with a really irritating nemesis, Captain Hammer, and a bad case of unrequited love. It's free through July 20th, and available on iTunes after that. It's worth checking out, even if you have to pay a little.


Video notes:

If you're not in the mood for heroes and villains, there are a few recent video releases to take a look at.

The Bank Job--this entertaining caper is based on a true story about a heist gone wrong. Roger Donaldson directed, and it stars Jason Statham and Saffron Burrows. It's best not to know too much going in. Just enjoy.

My Brother is an Only Child--the story of two brothers growing up in a small town in Italy in 1960's and 70's, it also takes the viewer through some of the social changes in Italy during the time.

The Counterfeiters--this Austrian movie won the Oscar for best foreign language film last spring. It's based on a true incident that occurred during World War II, when the Germans tried to destabilize the economies of the U.S. and England by using prisoners to create perfect counterfeit currency. TVOR wrote about it in her entry of 4/2/08.