The Majestic

The Majestic

Warner Bros.

December 21, 2001

Historical Drama

DVD
B-

This movie is long and more complicated than it seems capable of resolving, but I generally enjoyed it, including the contrast between Lawson and the more hostile world outside.  The cameo voicework by various directors adds some humor.  Also, I always prefer the more serious, less manic Jim Carrey, as in The Truman Show (which had a different relationship to the safe little world and the big scary world of course).  Frank Darabont directed a couple years after The Green Mile, which was much less my kind of movie.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Columbia
September 18, 2009
Children's, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Romance
DVD
B

I saw this at the time and am very pleased to say it holds up, in visuals (despite advances in the last decade or so), music, humor, intelligence, etc.  And, yes, it counts as a romance, since the nerd-love between Flint (Bill Hader) and Sam (Anna Faris in what I've always thought of as the Drew Barrymore role) is sweet and better done than in a lot of romcoms.  The voice casting is overall solid, and I like how Mr. T is cast so much to type it's basically self-parody.  There are a lot of great throwaway jokes, visual and sound, and the music is just a lot of fun.  (The pacing could be a shade better and I wouldn't say I was riveted, so B is as high as I'll go.)

This is based on the (much shorter) picture book by Judi and Ron Barrett.  Phil Lord and Christopher Miller did the adaptation and co-directed.

Army of Darkness

Army of Darkness
Universal/ MGM
February 19, 1993
Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi
DVD
C-

Sam Raimi directed and co-wrote with his brother Ivan this odd blend of, well, comedy, horror, and sci-fi, the third Evil Dead movie, and, no, I haven't seen the other installments.  It was, um,  OK I guess, nonsensical, a little gory, better than I expected?  But yeah, not my cup o' tea.