February 2010: Media Consumed

Books Read
The Skinny On Success Jim Randel
*Star Trek: Countdown Mike Johnson & Tim Jones
The Skinny On Time Managment Jim Randel
*The Twilight Zone: The Big Tall Wish Mark Kneece & Chris Lie

* = denotes a graphic novel or TPB

I really enjoyed reading Star Trek: Countdown is a comic book prequel to 2009's Star Trek movie, but it's really the movie that Star Trek: Nemesis should have been.

Movies Viewed For the First Time
The Wolfman (2010)
The Hurt Locker

Both The Wolfman and The Hurt Locker were good movies. The Wolfman is the only 2010 movie release that's worth watching in theatres right now (other than Shutter Island). I found it be a really fun movie that did a pretty good job of updating the original Lon Chaney film. The only problem with the movie is Benicio Del Toro. The guy is a very talented actor, but he's terribly miscast in the movie. He just doesn't fit the part and there is absolutely no chemistry between him and any of the other actors in the film.

The Hurt Locker is looking to be the film that might beat Avatar in the Best Picture race for 2009's Oscars. It's a very good movie, too. The acting is superb, the directing solid, and the overall scenery and sets do a great job in helping to set the film's tone. The movie was made with a smaller budget and didn't do very well at the box office. It's garnering a lot of attention and is now available on DVD. However, as much as I enjoyed the film, it's not the best movie of 2009 either. It's worth seeing, but don't expect to be awed.

By the way, for those who want to know, the Real Best Picture of 2009 is Up. Pixar hit gold with that film. It's a completely original story that gives nods to famous actors and movies of the past and has a little bit of something for people of all ages. It's just as beautiful as Beauty and the Beast, but with a playful sense of wonder that is lacking in that movie. The first 15 minutes of the film are really a movie all of themselves, because it tells the life story of two people who love each other very much, all with the lead character of speaking a few words. Avatar will always be significant because of the technological breakthroughs the film developed, but the story and plot are rehashes of countless movies before. The Hurt Locker will probably be looked at as a how-to piece, as in how-to make a movie on a small budget that becomes an Oscar favorite. However, it is Up that will be looked upon and revered by movie lovers of every stripe and character for generations to come.