A Movie Marathon

This past Thursday, I had the privilege of literally spending the day (more like the afternoon and night) at the Grove and their fancy cineplex. I do these all-day movie-thons from time to time, especially if there's one movie that I like enough to pay for and a couple others that I like but not enough to donate another 10 bucks to the industry. I especially like these outings when I've got things to do and I'm busy. I know that may be a contradictory philosophy, but it helps to keep me sane and remind me why I want to make movies.

This was an especially good movie-thon because of what I saw: a blockbuster fluff piece (Pirates 2); an indie darling (Little Miss Sunshine); and a new movie by an old friend (Kevin Smith's Clerks 2). Here's a quick lowdown...

Pirates 2: It's not surprising that this movie has made the gajillion dollars that it has thus far. It's mindless visual spectacle with a crowd favorite actor (Johnny Depp) playing a crowd favorite, new classic character Jack Sparrow...er, Captain Jack Sparrow. But, it's a flawed movie that's needlessly complicated, slow at times, and overly long. Plus, it's really just a big setup for Number 3. I think this series is feeling eerily like the Matrix trilogy; a great first movie that the studio and the writers never envisioned expanding into two more sequels. Oh well...at least we'll have one more movie to enjoy Depp's impersonation of Keith Richards.

Little Miss Sunshine: One of my favorites of the year. A great family film that parents should be taking their kids to see. It's extremely moving with fantastic ensemble acting (Greg Kinnear and Steve Carell are notable among them). The opening sequence is one of the best I've seen...introduces each of the characters with an awesome music score. Impressive debut for the filmmakers.

Clerks 2: I really think Kevin Smith is one of those filmmakers that can only make one kind of film. This movie felt like a reunion of sorts. Smith fits his movies like a glove. In one of the many talks I've been to, he says his dialogue (which is always commented on for its reality) is the ideal way he wishes him and his buddies would talk. Clerks 2 is Kevin Smith's ideal movie. Not his best (Chasing Amy still rocks); but certainly not his worst.