Bikerscum - Patrick St. Jean

Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0952640/

Reese and I went to see the Chipmunks movie today, and in spite of me dreading it, it was a lot of fun. Jason Lee really nailed the Dave character and the CGI chipmunks didn't look odd at all. The humor was well done, with jokes for both children and parents alike. The skewering of the record companies and recording industry in general was kind of fun, but with current events, maybe I'm seeing something that wasn't there.

Reese enjoyed himself, which was the most important thing... :)

Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0465234/

I got to see the second installment in the National Treasure franchise today and really enjoyed it. All of the previous cast members were back and the chemistry was definitely there.

The movie picks up a little while after the last one ends and has Ben Gates and crew hunting for a new treasure with clues hidden around the world. There's a bad guy who's a little less two dimensional than last time to work with, and a nice twist involving the President.

The ending was fun, kind of a happily-ever-after, but I think we're in store for another sequel because I really want to know what's on page 47.

Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0442933/

I went out to see Beowulf tonight and was treated to a 3D version using some newer technology. No more red/blue glasses, this one used polarized glasses and was in full color. The perspective was interesting, without many of the sight gags that 3D movies have unnecessarily added. There were a few, but not too many and they weren't obnoxious. As for the story, it's been years since I've read the original so I won't comment on that aspect, but it was entertaining and pretty faithful to the story as I remember it. The CG was well done, it's amazing to see how much it's improved since the days of Tron and The Last Starfighter.

Link: http://www.gaelicstorm.com/

I'd picked up these tickets a while back because they sounded like an interesting band to go see. Well, tonight was the night and The House of Blues was the venue.

I can't begin to write down a set list, as I am a complete newbie when it comes to their music, but it was a great show. They were really in to the audience and the venue was small enough that you were within shouting distance of the stage no matter where you were in the room.

They played two full sets of music interspersed with witty repartee between themselves and the audience. The music was fantastic, traditional Irish with a modern flair, and not at all melancholy. Though there were a few slower songs, for the most part it was just fun, occasionally bawdy, music.

After an extended encore they called it a night and hung around to talk with fans.

Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0486655/

I got out to see Stardust tonight and really enjoyed it. It's too bad that it came out up against the Bourne film, the Simpsons movie, and others because it's a really good film. I've been a fan of Neil Gaiman's work for a while now and will have to pick up the book this one's based on.

The movie is a classic epic fantasy/fairy tale story with a good amount of humor added in. It centers around a young man's quest to find a fallen star in order to win the hand of the woman he loves. Through his journey he does a lot of learning and growning and emerges a completely different person.

There were a number of memorable scenes, including some that had me laughing out loud. Robert Di Nero's character was absolutely hilarious and it was great to see him in a different type of role.

Definitely a good movie and one that you should go out and see if you liked movies like Willow, The Princess Bride, etc.

Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0373889/

I went out to see the latest Harry Potter movie, just before book 7 comes out, and really enjoyed it. Obviously, a movie adaptation of a book of this size is going to miss some things, but I thought it was quite faithful to the intent of the book.

The high points for me were Umbridge's office, the cats on the plates were classic! The twins sacking the school on their way out was close to the way I imagined it would be when I read the book.

Now all I've got to wait for is the arrival of the final book...

Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0418279/

Joi, Reese, and I went to see Transformers today at one of Rave's DLP theaters and I've got to say that I was really impressed. It was the first DLP movie I've seen and the improvement in picture quality was very much noticable. I'm going to aim for more movies in those theaters in the future.

Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0418279/

I got to a late night showing of Transformers tonight, and just as a word of advice, pick another day. Southlake Town Center was packed with people going to see the fireworks.

The movie was great! It was long enough to make a good story without feeling rushed. The robots were great, and as sci-fi goes a lot more believable, than in the cartoons.

Definitely the blockbuster of the summer, and well worth the price of admission.

Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337978/

The summer of movies continues with the latest sequel of the Die Hard franchise. It was a lot of fun to watch. Almost non-stop action, bits of dark and light humor strategically located to diffuse the tension, and lots of stuff getting blown up.

Don't go looking for a much depth, because it's not there. And there are a few obvious plot holes, but what the heck, things get blown up!