Running Tally - Part 8

Well this month has been very productive for movie viewing if for nothing else. Granted there were a few really awful movies endured in the course of things but there were also some really refreshing ones as well. And from a disappointing showing of only 7 films last month, I managed a whopping 15 this month. Some were even free. And as the summer movie season ends and the cinematic hope of Fall movies dawns us, I'll maintain my cinematic idealism that there will be films as good this year as last. Though my personal cynicism suspects it won't happen. But fingers crossed. Plus this was the month for documentaries

Month Recap:

The Wackness - largely forgettable

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor - the Yetis putting their arms up like American football goal post judges still infuriates me about this awful movie.

Swing Vote - Very weak political satire

Pineapple Express - I laughed a few times, the action sequences were poorly done, and the last act is just terrible and unconvincing.

Gonzo: The Life and Works of Hunter S Thompson - I thoroughly enjoyed this doc on the late Hunter S Thomspon. It was entertaining, educational and heartfelt.

Tell No One - well done and entertaining thriller with its sole big action piece being very well done.

Encounters at the End of the World - Soulful, beautifully shot and asking those deep, difficult, unanswerable questions that I love so much. Fantastic, best film I've seen so far this year.

Tropic Thunder - Not for me. Felt like a parody of a parody of Hollywood. Downey, Jr. was good. Tom Cruise did not impress me.

Vicky Christina Barcelona - if I could afford it right now I'd probably see this one. Allen directs wonderfully and the leads are great. Again it has all that great questioning that I enjoy.

Bottle Shock - Terrible, just terrible.

Death Race - If you can on occasion just sit and watch a mindless action flick this one does well. It doesn't even try to develop its characters and just brings on the gore and explosions.

Man on Wire (review forthcoming) - A fantastic story that feels like a crime caper and is helped along by the sheer vivacity of Phillipe Petit.

Elegy (review forthcoming) - There have been way better tales about people dealing with old age, one of my favorites from last year "Starting Out in the Evening" being notable.

Frozen River (review forthcoming) - Very well done film about a desperate working poor mother.

Babylon A.D. (review forthcoming) - I suppose it was right to leave the summer season with a really terrible summer action film.

And now what you've all come to see, meaningless statistics.

Films Remaining: 28
Days Remaining (As of September 1): 122
Average Number of Films per Day to achieve goal: 0.23
Average Number of Films per Week to Achieve Goal: 1.56