The Week In Movies

Ping Pong Playa

Basketball loving kid has to win the big ping pong tournament. I rolled the dice on this one, looked like it could be terrible or awesome. Turns out it leans more toward awesome, but not quite there. Good cast, pretty funny, didn't drag too much. One thing that kinda annoyed me was the swearing, which was bleeped out by sound effects. I didn't get that, either write it without cursing, or just let it be said.

Chasing Ghosts: Beyond The Arcade

A documentary that catches up with some of the great video game players of the early 80's. Great stuff, really interesting and funny, plus erotic art. Kind of like King Of Kong, except with a broader scope, and less manufactured drama. Probably not for everybody, but I enjoyed it.

My Bloody Valentine

Masked killer hacks up people on Valentine's Day. Watched this in preparation to see the 3D remake coming out soon. I like my slasher films with plenty of gore, but this didn't deliver. Apparently a lot was cut out by the MPAA (bastards), but will be restored for the first time in an upcoming dvd release. One of the best parts is the song that plays over the end credits. I liked the killer, and the concept, so I'll be checking out the uncut version, but as it stands, the old version just isn't that great.

Shred

Washed up snowboards try to get back on top by opening a training camp. Tom Green (say what you will) was the main reason I rented this movie. Turns out that even though he gets top billing he's really only a supporting, almost minor, character. The ol' bait and switch. I like Dave England ok too, but either way this movie is bad. Not very funny, kinda slow, overused plot. A waste of time.

Up The Yangtze

Documentary about a family affected by the damming of the Yangtze river. I really liked this one, but I may be a little bias because of my interest in (fetish for?) asian culture and such. Looks great. Kinda sad, even though everything seems to sort of work out in the end. I acutally watched a lot of the special features on the dvd, which is something I quite rarely do. Maybe the focus could have been a little broader, but over all, pretty awesome.