My Ten Straight Thumbs Up Movies

It's a rarity I don't complain about the films I watch. Either I've become numb and dull to films nowadays or I'm just liking everything I've been seeing- it's hard to tell. It wasn't until this past weekend when a reader mentioned to me how I liked the last ten films I've watched that I realized I haven't seen a bad film this summer. Granted, I opted out of the obvious missteps of 'G.I. Joe', 'Transformers 2' and 'Year One', but still... it's quite a feat. Here are my one-sentence reactions to those ten films:

1. Taking Woodstock- Signature detached emotions from Ang Lee with Woodstock nation as its backdrop.

2. Inglourious Basterds- My new favorite QT film is also the easiest of his films to be adapted to a stage play.

3. The Time Traveller's Wife- Just like 'The Notebook', cheesy, over the top but somehow still got me.

4. (500) Days of Summer- Best romantic comedy in years.

5. District 9- A better version of 'Cloverfield'.

6. The Hurt Locker- Will easily occupy the independent film slot at this year's Oscars and deservedly so.

7. Julie and Julia- I'm not sure who was more fun to watch- Streep over the top as Childs or Adams as a mopey wannabe.

8. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince- Full Review Here

9. The Hangover- Easiest laugh I've had all summer.

10. Up- Pixar predictably scores again.

My Dark Knight

Okay. Now for some non-governor, non-scandal and non-politic related news. New York Times wrote a story about the upcoming Batman sequel, 'The Dark Knight', and the many post-production decisions director Christopher Nolan have the encounter- particularly Heath Ledger's death. 

The article continues to confirm the ongoing speculations that Ledger was both physical and emotionally drained from the role of the Joker. The most eye-catching statement however was Nolan's comparison of the fictional Gotham to the modern day Baghdad. "When you’re dealing with questionable notions like people taking the law into their own hands, you have to really ask, where does that lead? That’s what makes the character so dark, because he expresses a vengeful desire.”

Well, there goes the non-political promise I made earlier. (NYT)

My Upcoming Summer Read

How sexy does the cover of the new Bond novel look? As a fan of the recently rejuvenated Bond series, I can't wait until the May 28th release date and make it top priority in my summer reading list. If only they used the same cool title for the upcoming film as well.