Finally saw Grindhouse (both films back to back). Death Proof didn't really get me that excited until the chase scene at the end, though it had a nicely impending sense of doom/mayhem AND it was rather ballsy of Tarantino to spend 1/2 the film >>>rather lovingly develop engaging backstories for several characters who die gruesomly for no good reason (that we ever learn)<<<<.

Kurt Russell's >>>girly-hysterical breakdown at the end<<< kinda made no sense.

But I totally have a girlcrush on Zoe Bell. She is made of cuteness AND cohones -- what a combination!

Planet Terror, to me, was more enjoyable -- if a little over-the-top. I thought the missing reel was used more effectively and more comically.

Were the missing reels actually shot and cut out? They didn't appear, at a glance, to be on the DVD.... ditto for all the fake trailers I wanted to see.... :(

I loved that! It was like, >>for all his bravado, without his SuperCar, he's a big wuss.<<

I think they were actually shot, at least the Death Proof one was. Because I saw commercials with clips of >>the lap-dance<<.

Yeah, the missing reel is in the extended version of Death Proof. I'm assuming it's the same for Planet Terror, but we haven't gotten around to checking out that DVD yet. It does have the Machete trailer, though - which was the best of the bunch.

I don't think they even filmed the "missing reel" for Planet Terror.

Yeah, I think Quentin's missing reel was to tease the audience, while Robert's was to skip crap he didn't want to actually do.

Knocked Up was a lot funnier than I expected.

I got Wimbledon due to many glowing reviews that I've read on this site, and I enjoyed it. It was nice to see Paul Bettany in a lighter role as romantic lead, and thought he had nice chemistry with Kirsten Dunst, who was adorable and charming throughout. And I adored a very funny James McAvoy in a minor role.

Hee. I'm one of the crazy Wimbledon defenders. I think its actually one of the better romcoms of the last few years and I agree with everything you said. I also love that Paul Bettany is playing a much less successful Tim Henman.

I love Wimbledon. Paul Bettany is hot, yo. Not like you people need me to tell you that.

I finally sat down and watched Strictly Ballroom all the way through this weekend. I'd only seen bits and pieces before. OMG, that movie was awesome. I need to buy it. I also have this sudden urge to rename my cat Tina Sparkle. Best name ever!

Hee. I really liked it too. I thought it was really sweet to watch them try to work out their differences and make the relationship work.

I've been watching the 7 Up series. I'm down to the last disc and have to say that I was more fascinated by the whole thing when the subjects being followed were still kids. It's cute how most of them look pretty much the same now as they did when they were 7.

I rented Black Narcissus starring Deborah Kerr. I was interested in seeing it for a long time, but after her death, I pushed it up my Netflix queue.

Anyway, although the movie does have some unfortunate casting (ie Jean Simmons and other white people playing Indians), and the attitude that the natives are just "backward children" is more than a little disturbing. However, it IS one of the most beautifully filmed movies I have ever seen. Each frame is like an oil painting, and the colors are amazing. It's also hard to believe the movie was made in a studio. It looks like it could have been shot on location in India.

It's a great psycological thriller as well. It's fascinating to see how the five nuns all start to break down under the strain of their remote location.

I adore anything by Powell and Pressburger. I agree the casting is unfortunate (though absolutely standard for those days - at least they bothered to get Sabu to play the young prince. And since it was filmed in Wales it may not have been that easy to find Indian actors). You should watch the Life and Death of Colonel Blimp if you haven't already done so -it's like no other British war film (or anyone's else's war films) and you get to see Deborah Kerr in three roles.

BTW, there's an article about the gay subtext in Black Narcissus here. In fact some of Powell and Pressburger's films are all about the hoyay!

Heathers. I saw this once before but I was really young and didn't get all the jokes. Now that I'm older I think it's one of the funniest movies I've seen in a while, although I have to say the shift from comedy to thriller didn't quite work for me. I'm still trying to decide which quote is my favorite. I'm stuck between "Lick it up, baby. Lick. It. Up" or this exchange at the end:

Heather Doherty: "Veronica, you look like hell"
Veronica: "Yeah? Well I just got back"

I rented Miracle on Friday night. A friend and I were going to have hockey movie night, but that didn't work out, when the only hockey movies Blockbuster had were Miracle and Most Valuable Primate. So we rented Miracle. I seriously love that movie so much.