23 January 2012

MMAM - Vol. 52

SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS may not have been everything it ought to be, but Hans Zimmer delivered a damn good score worthy of recognition. He takes the themes established from the '09 original and expounds on them, creating some truly eerie cues that very nicely underline Moriarty's involvement in this "game." But lo and behold, the one musical cue in the movie that made me want to get up and dance was not from Zimmer himself, but instead was a rendition of "Congress Reel." Played during Watson's tag party as Sherlock runs after the Mongolian who evily wants to kill my Future Wife #6 Noomi Rapace, this is some damn fine music.

So I wholeheartedly encourage a listen y'all. Before you know it, you'll have this blasting for a straight hour on repeat as you clean the house or what have you.

To quote a friend's way-too-often-used phrase, "Nice."

22 January 2012

Movie Prowlin: 2011 Edition, Vol. 4

So I made it. 200 movies. My goal was reached. This is the part where I do my victory dance. Overall, I'm pretty damn satisfied with my yearlong viewingness. I saw a majority of everything I wanted to see, and for the most part, I enjoyed what I watched. A lot of rewatches and a lot of TV consumed most of the year. Looking at the list below, I realize that I really gotta get back into the movie reviewing business. I'm really sorta sucking at that. Another goal to strive towards!

With 2011 at a close, it's time to look forward to 2012. By this date, the 22nd, I've seen nine movies, but as of yet I can't particularly say I'll reach 80 like I did the first quarter last year. But I still have the 200 movies seen goal - and the hope to exceed it. Now if I can just stop getting so sucked into television shows...

Movies Watched in 2011: 01 October 2011 - 31 December 2011

165. Straw Dogs [2011]
166. The Help
167. 50/50
168. What’s Your Number?
169. The Thing (2011)
170. From Dusk Till Dawn
171. Red State
172. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II
173. Bad Teacher
174. Halloween II (2009)
175. Drive
176. Paranormal Activity 3
177. Urban Legend
178. Freddy vs. Jason
179. Halloween II
180. Tucker & Dale vs. Evil
181. A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas
182. The Social Network
183. Easy A
184. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II
185. Superbad
186. Immortals
187. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1
188. The Muppets
189. 30 Minutes or Less
190. Water for Elephants
191. Friends With Benefits
192. Our Idiot Brother
193. Colombiana
194. The Change-Up
195. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
196. Contagion
197. The Descendants
198. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
199. Midnight in Paris
200. The Girl With a Dragon Tattoo

TV Seasons Watched in 2011: 01 October 2011 - 31 December 2011

27. The Vampire Diaries: Season 2
28. 24: Season 8
29. Spartacus: Gods of the Arena

08 January 2012

Welcome to 2012


So I've been a rubbish blogger, I recognize that.

Hell, I've been a rubbish filmgoer.

The good news is that I hit my goal of 200 movies seen in 2011, but was slightly below 2010 with new releases viewed. I blame it on the slim pickings of titles that demanded attention from me. Anyway, it's been over a month since my last post, and I daresay I've been a bit of a busy geek.

First and foremost, why the image of Suncoast at the top of this post? Well, since I was sixteen, I've worked at the local Suncoast Motion Picture Company (sister store of F.Y.E.) at my local mall. Honestly, that place has become a second family. My coworkers and two managers are some of my closest friends, and with the exception of the half dozen or so customers that come in day after day and make a case for mankind's annihilation, Suncoast has been nothing short of heaven since I started.

I get paid to talk about movies and TV. Sell product to the customer, and even - on occasion - watch it on our TV screens. Jobs aren't supposed to be fun, but this job has been above and beyond.

Here's a good example: on one of the many super dead days during this past summer, my bosses and I had one of the most in-depth conversations I've ever participated in about the pro and cons of the 2011 superhero movies. We listed favorites by personal enjoyment and by the whole technical side (editing, cinematography, score, performances, etc.), and I'd say a good 70 minutes cumulative was spent dissecting these (four?) movies. It's days like that, just shooting the shit with my coworkers over stuff we love, that I cherish with all my heart.

And now that's all coming to an end.

A little over a month ago, right around the time I stopped blogging (although that wasn't the primary reason), I received word of the store's demise. Our little shop, one of the very last stores in Minnesota that sold hard-to-find movies at a reasonable price, that hired employees who actually knew what the hell they were talking about, and has been a staple store of a mall overrun with redundant cellphone and jewelry stores, is closing up. The humorous part that we tell our customers is that it has absolutely nothing to do with Netflix or any online companies - I don't know exactly what can be published or not, but the reason we're closing is rather ridiculous.

So for the last month Suncoast has occupied my life. Cherishing each and every last day at that place. Home Numero Dos. To put it mildly, this sucks balls.

And now school has started up again. Which, of course, means high speed internet wherever I go. The Geek will not perish from the blogosphere. Hell, in my blogroll, a site that hadn't a new post since 2009 was just resurrected, so my month absence - eh, ain't a huge deal. But I'm back, baby. Still distracted as usual by school and life -

- like the big question: what the hell am I going to do now?!?! -

- but I'm ready to talk about movies and shows. 2012 is going to be a damn good year. At least, there's more I'm looking forward to this year than 2011. Sorry to any 2011 lovers. Speaking of last year, the Geek's obligatory year-end roundup post(s) will be coming shortly, most likely near the end of the month. There's only two or three films to see before I make a judgment. I will say that as opposed to 2010 when there was a clear winner, I really don't have a clue bout my 2011 list just yet, let alone a bet.

So in summary: school, home #2 closing up shop, and me facing this whole adulthood thing.

In closing, please stay tuned to The Ramblings of a Minnesota Geek. Postings will resume shortly, both of movies and television shows, and I just might start blogging about life junk. Sneak peak: by no choice of my own, I have now entered into a class of the utmost evil. A trickster form masquerading as art. Oh yes, I'm taking poetry. Lords of Kobol, watch over my soul.

Until next time, happy 2012 folks, and hope to talk to y'all soon --

Awesome Andy