Movie Rentals- Amores Perros-Tyler Perry
02.16.10 (1:46 am) [edit]
One of the many reasons I enjoy having Dish TV
premium channels is for the fact that there are dull weeks at the video store when very few interesting movies have been released. I love the whole video store experience of searching for hidden treasures through all of the selections but sometimes you just want built-in entertainment that's ready to go. I rented three movies on Saturday. I have the unlimited pass that allows you to have two movies out at a time and swap them for another two whenever you’re ready. This deal isn’t too shabby since I was already spending at least $40.00 per month on movies. The deal saves me $10.00 per month and I rent movies that I wouldn’t normally rent above and beyond those that capture my interest. I rented Amores Perros, The Donner Party and a Care Bears movie for my daughter.
I was inspired to check out Amores Perros after watching another film written by Guillermo Arriaga titled The Burning Plain. I was psyched after a busy day to finally settle down and do what I enjoy most (aside from painting)- watch a movie! I assumed that Amores Perros couldn’t be bad after seeing a few of Arriaga’s films, not to mention the fact that it won 52 awards. I put the movie into the DVD player with great anticipation. I absolutely loved the opening scene that was filled with suspense, great directing and wonderful acting. I knew I was in for a treat and one heck of a ride with this drama so I curled up in a ball on my couch prepared to be entertained. Sure enough, the movie skipped. It stopped in time for me to catch about 10 minutes worth before it started skipping again and wouldn’t stop. I tried my best to clean the DVD but it was scratched beyond belief so I had no chance of checking out this great film!
I decided to pop in the next movie I rented even though I wasn’t half as excited about it. Word of warning, do not rent The Donner Party. The movie started out ¾ of the way into where it should have been. This was based on a true story of people who were trapped in snow filled mountains who resorted to cannibalism to stay alive. Sounds freaky and exciting, right? Not really. It started with the characters already trapped on the mountain and finding out that the search party would not be coming. There was limited food so the characters started fighting about the rations they would eat and who would be entitled to get more than the others. Mind you, we still don’t truly know anything about the characters to really be drawn into the movie or empathize with their situation. I shut the movie off 15 minutes in, thinking that the director had to want the movie to bomb for it to be made that poorly. I think I speak for many movie fans that if you watch a film that should be suspenseful or, at the very least, dramatic that we want a story leading up to the main plot. We want to know the characters before they wander into harm’s way so we actually become concerned about what might happen! I’m usually one to give every film an honest shot. I would at least give it 30-45 minutes before calling it a wash but I felt like I was watching a stage play on DVD and I couldn’t imagine it getting much better. By the way, the Care Bears movie was not compatible with my DVD player. Huh?
I went back to the store the next day to see if I could rent another copy of Amores Perros but they didn’t have one! I went with my last resort, Saw VI. I couldn’t imagine number six being any different than the other sequels but I took the chance of being slightly entertained and prepared for the possibility that I might end up shutting it off. I watched the whole movie and was pleasantly surprised at the fact that it had a decent plot for a fifth sequel. There was a fair share of gore that was to be expected but the director also took us outside of the dark torture room where the most of the Saw movies take place. We had the chance to have a better background on the characters so it made the story more interesting than expected. The previous Saw movies didn’t delve too deep into the characters but gave us a quick explanation of why they were captured and focused on the torture aspect and the possibility of escape. I must admit I was pleasantly surprised. Don’t get me wrong, this film will certainly not win any awards but it wasn’t the worst film I’ve seen and it made for a decent backup! I look forward to getting my hands on Amores Perros this coming weekend so I can enjoy it in its entirety and I’ll let you know how it works out. The following is a list of great movies that can be found on Dish Network’s premium channels from tonight to Thursday night, February 4th. You can feel free to check out these movies without having to change the channel or worry about a scratched disc ruining your DVD player!
Tonight's Movie Pick 2/2/10
Towelhead 9p.m. on HBO Signature
Wednesday's Movie 2/3/10
Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married? 8:00 p.m. on Showtime Showcase Thursday's Movie 2/4/10
Last Chance Harvey 10:00 p.m. on Starz Cinema
premium channels is for the fact that there are dull weeks at the video store when very few interesting movies have been released. I love the whole video store experience of searching for hidden treasures through all of the selections but sometimes you just want built-in entertainment that's ready to go. I rented three movies on Saturday. I have the unlimited pass that allows you to have two movies out at a time and swap them for another two whenever you’re ready. This deal isn’t too shabby since I was already spending at least $40.00 per month on movies. The deal saves me $10.00 per month and I rent movies that I wouldn’t normally rent above and beyond those that capture my interest. I rented Amores Perros, The Donner Party and a Care Bears movie for my daughter.
I was inspired to check out Amores Perros after watching another film written by Guillermo Arriaga titled The Burning Plain. I was psyched after a busy day to finally settle down and do what I enjoy most (aside from painting)- watch a movie! I assumed that Amores Perros couldn’t be bad after seeing a few of Arriaga’s films, not to mention the fact that it won 52 awards. I put the movie into the DVD player with great anticipation. I absolutely loved the opening scene that was filled with suspense, great directing and wonderful acting. I knew I was in for a treat and one heck of a ride with this drama so I curled up in a ball on my couch prepared to be entertained. Sure enough, the movie skipped. It stopped in time for me to catch about 10 minutes worth before it started skipping again and wouldn’t stop. I tried my best to clean the DVD but it was scratched beyond belief so I had no chance of checking out this great film!
I decided to pop in the next movie I rented even though I wasn’t half as excited about it. Word of warning, do not rent The Donner Party. The movie started out ¾ of the way into where it should have been. This was based on a true story of people who were trapped in snow filled mountains who resorted to cannibalism to stay alive. Sounds freaky and exciting, right? Not really. It started with the characters already trapped on the mountain and finding out that the search party would not be coming. There was limited food so the characters started fighting about the rations they would eat and who would be entitled to get more than the others. Mind you, we still don’t truly know anything about the characters to really be drawn into the movie or empathize with their situation. I shut the movie off 15 minutes in, thinking that the director had to want the movie to bomb for it to be made that poorly. I think I speak for many movie fans that if you watch a film that should be suspenseful or, at the very least, dramatic that we want a story leading up to the main plot. We want to know the characters before they wander into harm’s way so we actually become concerned about what might happen! I’m usually one to give every film an honest shot. I would at least give it 30-45 minutes before calling it a wash but I felt like I was watching a stage play on DVD and I couldn’t imagine it getting much better. By the way, the Care Bears movie was not compatible with my DVD player. Huh?
I went back to the store the next day to see if I could rent another copy of Amores Perros but they didn’t have one! I went with my last resort, Saw VI. I couldn’t imagine number six being any different than the other sequels but I took the chance of being slightly entertained and prepared for the possibility that I might end up shutting it off. I watched the whole movie and was pleasantly surprised at the fact that it had a decent plot for a fifth sequel. There was a fair share of gore that was to be expected but the director also took us outside of the dark torture room where the most of the Saw movies take place. We had the chance to have a better background on the characters so it made the story more interesting than expected. The previous Saw movies didn’t delve too deep into the characters but gave us a quick explanation of why they were captured and focused on the torture aspect and the possibility of escape. I must admit I was pleasantly surprised. Don’t get me wrong, this film will certainly not win any awards but it wasn’t the worst film I’ve seen and it made for a decent backup! I look forward to getting my hands on Amores Perros this coming weekend so I can enjoy it in its entirety and I’ll let you know how it works out. The following is a list of great movies that can be found on Dish Network’s premium channels from tonight to Thursday night, February 4th. You can feel free to check out these movies without having to change the channel or worry about a scratched disc ruining your DVD player!
Tonight's Movie Pick 2/2/10
Towelhead 9p.m. on HBO Signature
Wednesday's Movie 2/3/10
Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married? 8:00 p.m. on Showtime Showcase Thursday's Movie 2/4/10
Last Chance Harvey 10:00 p.m. on Starz Cinema
Oscars 2010-Best Picture-Actor-Director
02.16.10 (1:41 am) [edit]
Are you wondering who the nominees are for this year’s Oscars? I know I was dying to find out. This was a great year at the movies and there are many great films to choose from along with award-winning performances from many actors. The category of Best Picture has been increased from five nominations to ten this year. The biggest question is who will win Best Picture between “David and Goliath” or will neither one come home with the magic trophy? When I use the term “David and Goliath”, of course, I’m referring to the competition between Avatar and The Hurt Locker. Who do you think will win at the 82nd Academy Awards out of this great lineup that came out for the first time yesterday?
Best Picture:
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Actor in a Leading Role:
Jeff Bridges: Crazy Heart
George Clooney: Up in the Air
Colin Firth: A Single Man
Morgan Freeman: Invictus
Jeremy Renner: The Hurt Locker
Actor in a Supporting Role:
Matt Damon: Invictus
Woody Harrelson: The Messenger
Christopher Plummer: The Last Station
Stanley Tucci: The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz: Inglorious Basterds
Actress in a Leading Role:
Sandra Bullock: The Blind Side
Helen Mirren: The Last Station
Carey Mulligan: An Education
Gabourey Sidibe: Precious
Meryl Streep: Julie and Julia
Actress in a Supporting Role:
Penelope Cruz: Nine
Vera Farmiga: Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal: Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick: Up in the Air
Mo’Nique: Precious
Animated Feature Film:
Coraline: Henry Selick
Fantastic Mr. Fox: Wes Anderson
The Princess and the Frog: John Musker and Ron Clements
The Secret of Kells: Tomm Moore
Up: Pete Doctor
Art Direction:
Avatar: Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg
Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus: Dave Warren, Anastasia Masaro
Set Decoration: Caroline Smith
Nine: John Myhre
Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
Sherlock Holmes: Sarah Greenwood
Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
The Young Victoria: Patrice Vermette
Set Decoration: Maggie Gray
Cinematography:
Avatar: Mauro Fiore Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Bruno Delbonnel
The Hurt Locker: Barry Ackroyd
Inglorious Basterds: Robert Richardson
The White Ribbon: Christian Berger
Directing: Avatar: James Cameron
The Hurt Locker: Kathryn Bigelow
Inglorious Basterds: Quentin Tarantino
Precious: Lee Daniels
Up in the Air: Jason Reitman
Documentary Feature:
Burma V J: Anders Ostergaard, Lise Lense-Moller
The Cove: TBA
Food, Inc.: Robert Kenner, Elise Pearlstein
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsburg and the Pentagon Papers:
Judith Ehrlich, Rick Goldsmith
Which Way Home: Rebecca Cammisa
Music (Original Song):
The Princess and the Frog: Almost There- Randy Newman
The Princess and the Frog: Down in New Orleans- Randy Newman
Paris 36: Loin de Paname- Reinhardt Wagner, Frank Thomas
Nine: Take It All-Maury Yeston
Crazy Heart: The Weary King (Theme from Crazy Heart)- Ryan Bingham, T Bone Burnett
I’m sure the Oscars will be quite interesting this time around. It’s certainly a huge year for James Cameron and his hit film Avatar that many say is neck-in-neck with The Hurt Locker. This was a daring investment for Cameron that turned out to be more than profitable. I think that Isabelle Fuhrman of the film Orphan was completely ripped off and at least deserved a nomination. Sabourey Sidibe is the new star who immediately made headlines in entertainment news when the film Precious was released. Tyler Perry and Oprah both collaborated on this film so you know it has to be good. Quentin Tarantino, one my all time favorite directors, is up for an Oscar this year. I was psyched to hear the news but he’s against some tough competition so we’ll see what happens on the big night! Sandra Bullock is the first actor ever to be nominated for an Oscar and a Razzy award at the same time. She’s up for a Razzie for her performance in All About Steve!
Check out the Oscars with Dish TV for a great few hours of fun-filled entertainment March 7th at 8 EST/5 pm Pacific on ABC!
Best Picture:
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Actor in a Leading Role:
Jeff Bridges: Crazy Heart
George Clooney: Up in the Air
Colin Firth: A Single Man
Morgan Freeman: Invictus
Jeremy Renner: The Hurt Locker
Actor in a Supporting Role:
Matt Damon: Invictus
Woody Harrelson: The Messenger
Christopher Plummer: The Last Station
Stanley Tucci: The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz: Inglorious Basterds
Actress in a Leading Role:
Sandra Bullock: The Blind Side
Helen Mirren: The Last Station
Carey Mulligan: An Education
Gabourey Sidibe: Precious
Meryl Streep: Julie and Julia
Actress in a Supporting Role:
Penelope Cruz: Nine
Vera Farmiga: Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal: Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick: Up in the Air
Mo’Nique: Precious
Animated Feature Film:
Coraline: Henry Selick
Fantastic Mr. Fox: Wes Anderson
The Princess and the Frog: John Musker and Ron Clements
The Secret of Kells: Tomm Moore
Up: Pete Doctor
Art Direction:
Avatar: Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg
Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus: Dave Warren, Anastasia Masaro
Set Decoration: Caroline Smith
Nine: John Myhre
Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
Sherlock Holmes: Sarah Greenwood
Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
The Young Victoria: Patrice Vermette
Set Decoration: Maggie Gray
Cinematography:
Avatar: Mauro Fiore Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Bruno Delbonnel
The Hurt Locker: Barry Ackroyd
Inglorious Basterds: Robert Richardson
The White Ribbon: Christian Berger
Directing: Avatar: James Cameron
The Hurt Locker: Kathryn Bigelow
Inglorious Basterds: Quentin Tarantino
Precious: Lee Daniels
Up in the Air: Jason Reitman
Documentary Feature:
Burma V J: Anders Ostergaard, Lise Lense-Moller
The Cove: TBA
Food, Inc.: Robert Kenner, Elise Pearlstein
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsburg and the Pentagon Papers:
Judith Ehrlich, Rick Goldsmith
Which Way Home: Rebecca Cammisa
Music (Original Song):
The Princess and the Frog: Almost There- Randy Newman
The Princess and the Frog: Down in New Orleans- Randy Newman
Paris 36: Loin de Paname- Reinhardt Wagner, Frank Thomas
Nine: Take It All-Maury Yeston
Crazy Heart: The Weary King (Theme from Crazy Heart)- Ryan Bingham, T Bone Burnett
I’m sure the Oscars will be quite interesting this time around. It’s certainly a huge year for James Cameron and his hit film Avatar that many say is neck-in-neck with The Hurt Locker. This was a daring investment for Cameron that turned out to be more than profitable. I think that Isabelle Fuhrman of the film Orphan was completely ripped off and at least deserved a nomination. Sabourey Sidibe is the new star who immediately made headlines in entertainment news when the film Precious was released. Tyler Perry and Oprah both collaborated on this film so you know it has to be good. Quentin Tarantino, one my all time favorite directors, is up for an Oscar this year. I was psyched to hear the news but he’s against some tough competition so we’ll see what happens on the big night! Sandra Bullock is the first actor ever to be nominated for an Oscar and a Razzy award at the same time. She’s up for a Razzie for her performance in All About Steve!
Check out the Oscars with Dish TV for a great few hours of fun-filled entertainment March 7th at 8 EST/5 pm Pacific on ABC!
Oscars 2010-Best Picture-Actor-Director
02.16.10 (1:40 am) [edit]
Are you wondering who the nominees are for this year’s Oscars? I know I was dying to find out. This was a great year at the movies and there are many great films to choose from along with award-winning performances from many actors. The category of Best Picture has been increased from five nominations to ten this year. The biggest question is who will win Best Picture between “David and Goliath” or will neither one come home with the magic trophy? When I use the term “David and Goliath”, of course, I’m referring to the competition between Avatar and The Hurt Locker. Who do you think will win at the 82nd Academy Awards out of this great lineup that came out for the first time yesterday?
Best Picture:
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Actor in a Leading Role:
Jeff Bridges: Crazy Heart
George Clooney: Up in the Air
Colin Firth: A Single Man
Morgan Freeman: Invictus
Jeremy Renner: The Hurt Locker
Actor in a Supporting Role:
Matt Damon: Invictus
Woody Harrelson: The Messenger
Christopher Plummer: The Last Station
Stanley Tucci: The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz: Inglorious Basterds
Actress in a Leading Role:
Sandra Bullock: The Blind Side
Helen Mirren: The Last Station
Carey Mulligan: An Education
Gabourey Sidibe: Precious
Meryl Streep: Julie and Julia
Actress in a Supporting Role:
Penelope Cruz: Nine
Vera Farmiga: Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal: Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick: Up in the Air
Mo’Nique: Precious
Animated Feature Film:
Coraline: Henry Selick
Fantastic Mr. Fox: Wes Anderson
The Princess and the Frog: John Musker and Ron Clements
The Secret of Kells: Tomm Moore
Up: Pete Doctor
Art Direction:
Avatar: Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg
Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus: Dave Warren, Anastasia Masaro
Set Decoration: Caroline Smith
Nine: John Myhre
Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
Sherlock Holmes: Sarah Greenwood
Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
The Young Victoria: Patrice Vermette
Set Decoration: Maggie Gray
Cinematography:
Avatar: Mauro Fiore Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Bruno Delbonnel
The Hurt Locker: Barry Ackroyd
Inglorious Basterds: Robert Richardson
The White Ribbon: Christian Berger
Directing: Avatar: James Cameron
The Hurt Locker: Kathryn Bigelow
Inglorious Basterds: Quentin Tarantino
Precious: Lee Daniels
Up in the Air: Jason Reitman
Documentary Feature:
Burma V J: Anders Ostergaard, Lise Lense-Moller
The Cove: TBA
Food, Inc.: Robert Kenner, Elise Pearlstein
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsburg and the Pentagon Papers:
Judith Ehrlich, Rick Goldsmith
Which Way Home: Rebecca Cammisa
Music (Original Song):
The Princess and the Frog: Almost There- Randy Newman
The Princess and the Frog: Down in New Orleans- Randy Newman
Paris 36: Loin de Paname- Reinhardt Wagner, Frank Thomas
Nine: Take It All-Maury Yeston
Crazy Heart: The Weary King (Theme from Crazy Heart)- Ryan Bingham, T Bone Burnett
I’m sure the Oscars will be quite interesting this time around. It’s certainly a huge year for James Cameron and his hit film Avatar that many say is neck-in-neck with The Hurt Locker. This was a daring investment for Cameron that turned out to be more than profitable. I think that Isabelle Fuhrman of the film Orphan was completely ripped off and at least deserved a nomination. Sabourey Sidibe is the new star who immediately made headlines in entertainment news when the film Precious was released. Tyler Perry and Oprah both collaborated on this film so you know it has to be good. Quentin Tarantino, one my all time favorite directors, is up for an Oscar this year. I was psyched to hear the news but he’s against some tough competition so we’ll see what happens on the big night! Sandra Bullock is the first actor ever to be nominated for an Oscar and a Razzy award at the same time. She’s up for a Razzie for her performance in All About Steve!
Check out the Oscars with Dish TV for a great few hours of fun-filled entertainment March 7th at 8 EST/5 pm Pacific on ABC!
Best Picture:
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Actor in a Leading Role:
Jeff Bridges: Crazy Heart
George Clooney: Up in the Air
Colin Firth: A Single Man
Morgan Freeman: Invictus
Jeremy Renner: The Hurt Locker
Actor in a Supporting Role:
Matt Damon: Invictus
Woody Harrelson: The Messenger
Christopher Plummer: The Last Station
Stanley Tucci: The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz: Inglorious Basterds
Actress in a Leading Role:
Sandra Bullock: The Blind Side
Helen Mirren: The Last Station
Carey Mulligan: An Education
Gabourey Sidibe: Precious
Meryl Streep: Julie and Julia
Actress in a Supporting Role:
Penelope Cruz: Nine
Vera Farmiga: Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal: Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick: Up in the Air
Mo’Nique: Precious
Animated Feature Film:
Coraline: Henry Selick
Fantastic Mr. Fox: Wes Anderson
The Princess and the Frog: John Musker and Ron Clements
The Secret of Kells: Tomm Moore
Up: Pete Doctor
Art Direction:
Avatar: Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg
Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus: Dave Warren, Anastasia Masaro
Set Decoration: Caroline Smith
Nine: John Myhre
Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
Sherlock Holmes: Sarah Greenwood
Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
The Young Victoria: Patrice Vermette
Set Decoration: Maggie Gray
Cinematography:
Avatar: Mauro Fiore Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Bruno Delbonnel
The Hurt Locker: Barry Ackroyd
Inglorious Basterds: Robert Richardson
The White Ribbon: Christian Berger
Directing: Avatar: James Cameron
The Hurt Locker: Kathryn Bigelow
Inglorious Basterds: Quentin Tarantino
Precious: Lee Daniels
Up in the Air: Jason Reitman
Documentary Feature:
Burma V J: Anders Ostergaard, Lise Lense-Moller
The Cove: TBA
Food, Inc.: Robert Kenner, Elise Pearlstein
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsburg and the Pentagon Papers:
Judith Ehrlich, Rick Goldsmith
Which Way Home: Rebecca Cammisa
Music (Original Song):
The Princess and the Frog: Almost There- Randy Newman
The Princess and the Frog: Down in New Orleans- Randy Newman
Paris 36: Loin de Paname- Reinhardt Wagner, Frank Thomas
Nine: Take It All-Maury Yeston
Crazy Heart: The Weary King (Theme from Crazy Heart)- Ryan Bingham, T Bone Burnett
I’m sure the Oscars will be quite interesting this time around. It’s certainly a huge year for James Cameron and his hit film Avatar that many say is neck-in-neck with The Hurt Locker. This was a daring investment for Cameron that turned out to be more than profitable. I think that Isabelle Fuhrman of the film Orphan was completely ripped off and at least deserved a nomination. Sabourey Sidibe is the new star who immediately made headlines in entertainment news when the film Precious was released. Tyler Perry and Oprah both collaborated on this film so you know it has to be good. Quentin Tarantino, one my all time favorite directors, is up for an Oscar this year. I was psyched to hear the news but he’s against some tough competition so we’ll see what happens on the big night! Sandra Bullock is the first actor ever to be nominated for an Oscar and a Razzy award at the same time. She’s up for a Razzie for her performance in All About Steve!
Check out the Oscars with Dish TV for a great few hours of fun-filled entertainment March 7th at 8 EST/5 pm Pacific on ABC!