Monday, March 26, 2007

robhaan.com

I'm uploading the new version of my portfolio site right now. The content is mostly the same as it was but it looks totally different... I got rid of that Flash deal. I'm probably not quite finished with it yet... but I wanted to get the hosting set up.

My back has been messed up for most of spring break. Consequently I haven't gotten much done other than the website. I did watch a few movies though.

BREACH: Based on the true story of Robert Hanssen, this movie was surprisingly really good. Most of the movie consists of a couple of guys working in an office, but it is really intense.

THE DEPARTED: The video store finally had this one in stock. I rented the fullscreen version because #1: our TV is not that big and #2: our couch is pretty far away from the TV. I know fullscreen is wrong and heretical and unfaithful to the director's vision, but I just don't like having to look at such a tiny picture.... enough about that though... the movie is really good. It was quite a bit better than I thought it would be. Most of the people that watched it here in town said that the end was really disappointing... I thought it was good though.

THE PRESTIGE: Another DVD that was finally available to rent. I have to say I was pretty disappointed with this one. It was entertaining and well done and everything, just not nearly as genius as everyone has been making it out to be. Whatever.

ZODIAC: A three-hour-long movie has to have gotten pretty stinking good reviews for me to see it. Zodiac has an 87 on RT so we figured it'd be worth the long sit. It was. Not once did I find myself wondering when it was going to be over (except when 3 people got up and left about 2/3 of the way through). Jake Gyllenhaal always does a good job (in my opinion). I wasn't a huge fan of the main detective character... he always seemed like an actor saying lines, not a real person talking. But everyone else was pretty convincing. There were somewhere around 85 paragraphs of epilogue at the end of the movie, which I find somewhat sometimes. I think a good movie should come to a good conclusion without spelling out the following 30 years of the characters lives.

STRANGER THAN FICTION: There's a lot to like about this movie, but overall it was also pretty disappointing. There are a lot of cool effects to portray what is going on in Harold Crick's (Will Ferrill's) head. This was probably the best part of the movie. The acting was all pretty decent, but as Mic pointed out, it's really hard at times to tell whether or not your supposed to take it seriously. I dunno. The music seemed really awkward to me... full volume to transition between scenes and then suddenly quiet when the characters are speaking. A lot of critics have said that this movie is "Adaptation for Dummies". I'd have to agree with that. All and all that is the biggest problem with this movie. If you're going to do something that's been done before, at least do it better!

What does everyone think of the new Arcade Fire album? My favorite track is definitely "Intervention" (track 4). That organ is so cool.

4 comments:

jack. said...

i liked stranger than fiction, although i agree with the adaptation for dummies. i really like track 4 as well, but 2-4 are very good together, as well as 8-11. a very good album in my opinion.

jack. said...

i just realized i've been listening to the album backwards. so i guess i like songs 1-4 and 8-10.

Rob Haan said...

i'll have to listen to it backwords now too

Reuben Sinnema said...

I liked Stranger than Fiction too. I thought ol' Willie Boy did a good job. That's all I was looking for. I liked the Prestige too. I thought it was entertaining. Again that's all I was expecting. The Departed was awesome. Did you notice the Dropkick Murphys song?