Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Pineapple Express


Not enough action or comedy. Not bad, not good. Blues Brothers still stands as the best action comedy. Unless someone suggests something better...

Update: Finished watching, and can't get over how dull this flick was. Disappointing.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Onlookers

The crash of US Airways flight 1549 is a few weeks behind us, but no less bizarre. To think that a few birds can bring down an entire jet...guess we're less advanced than I thought.

After rehearsal one afternoon, I decided to walk down to the crash site.


Onlookers from Matthew Patches on Vimeo.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

The Art of Dance

I've grown to enjoy dance as an art, and wish I had a chance to get out and see more. Especially in New York, where there's an abundance of performance going on every single night.

Unfortunately, this is not good dance.

This is Plante Dance.


Dance: An Interpretation by Christopher Plante from Matthew Patches on Vimeo.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Twins

Sometimes I wish I were a twin.

Oscar Bait Round-Up: The Reader

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Suddenly this blog is becoming very movie heavy, which wasn't my plan, but it may have something to do with the fact that I'm sick, have seen a heap of movies, and haven't been able to get out and do anything else of note (I'll talk about my play later).

Anywho, had to post on The Reader, since this morning's events have me all shaken up.



The Reader got a Best Pic nom this morning. I almost took my rating down to 2/5, because dammit, they're wrong. It's "ok", but in light of other films (um, WALL-E and, fine, even Dark Knight I guess) it shouldn't be on the list. Hollywood political gobblygook.

I loved Daldry's The Hours, but this movie is yawnerskates. Former Nazi has sex with Young Adult and makes him read to her. Ok, great. I love you Winslet, but I couldn't get past your unsightly armpit air in this movie (although maybe she deserves some cred for growing it).

See Revolutionary Road.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Oscar Bait Round-Up: The Wrestler

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Before seeing this flick, I decided to pick up the song Bruce Springsteen wrote for the end credits, also titled The Wrestler. Not sure if that was a mistake, but it's sappy and wonderful, which means I may have been predisposed to getting swept up by this simple story of a down-and-out professional wrestler. If you can let go of your cynicism for an hour and a half, Mickey Rourke's Randy "The Ram" will make you teary. I find wrestling to be particularly uninteresting, but damned if I don't have some respect for it now. Theatrics come at a physical cost, to say the least.

I wanted to criticize Marisa Tomei for always letting her boobs out and not deserving her Oscar, but hell I can't like, she's wonderful in this movie. The Evan Rachel Wood as The Ram's daughter might be a tad too schmaltzy, but by that time, I was on board.

Refreshingly realistic.

FDR Inauguration Speech