As part of the summer movie series, I’m keeping a log of what I’ve already watched. I may want to review them at a later time. I doubt I’d find that time, though.

I took a quick gander at some Netflix rates, but for now, I think 2-for-1 Wednesdays at both Vulcan Video and Waterloo Video will suffice.

Summer Movie Viewing Log

8/21/05

Kiki’s Delivery Service (DVD)

8/14/05

Sunday in the Park with George (DVD)

Princess Mononoke (DVD)

7/30/05

Spirited Away (DVD)

7/29/05

Steamboy (DVD)

7/17/05

Yossi and Jagger (DVD)

7/16/05

Testosterone (DVD)

I can’t believe I’ve seen this movie twice. I didn’t much like it the first time, regardless if David Sutcliffe is hot.

7/15/05

Heights (Arbor Cinema)

The first new entry over at Filmwhore.org!

7/10/05

The Flaming Lips: The Fearless Freaks (DVD)

Right now, I am listening to a version of Zaireeka which I ripped and mixed down myself. I am not equipped with four different CD players, and I am all too familiar with John Cage. So I am much more interested in reverse engineering Zaireeka than actually following the instructions. Besides, I’ll let the Alamo Drafthouse do the heavy lifting for me.

7/9/05

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (DVD)

Napolean Dynamite (DVD)

I only made it 30 minutes into Napolean Dynamite before determining that I was not all invested in the characters. Perhaps reading other people’s opinion about the movie colored my own perception of the movie, but after Napolean lied about his girlfriend in Oklahoma, I was reminded of a guy I hung out in high school who lied through his teeth about pretty much everything. Next!

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, on the other hand, is one of Miyazaki Hayao’s earliest films, and it’s weird seeing his characters so clearly delineated between good and evil. The plot unfolded a bit slowly, and the ending seemed a bit abrupt. It’s still interesting to compare how Miyazaki began with how he evolved. Now when the heck is Disney going to get My Neighbor Totoro out?

7/8/05

The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie

Yeah, that whole sequence with David Hasselhoff is really disturbing. I don’t think I needed to see that much detail of his hairy body. But on the whole, that was fun!

7/3/05

Kill Bill, Vol. 2 (DVD)

Shaolin Soccer (DVD)

I had a hankering to watch Shaolin Soccer after seeing Kung Fu Hustle in the theater. I think I like Kung Fu Hustle better, and the foreign DVD has far more features than the domestic DVD.

7/2/05

Batman Begins (Alamo Drafthouse)

Jersey Girl (DVD)

I didn’t intend to see Batman Begins, but I figured if there was one shot of Christian Bale without a shirt, it was probably worth the effort. As for Jersey Girl, it definitely lost me with the Wil Smith ex Machina near the end.

7/1/05

Adaptation (DVD)

I couldn’t get past the idea of the screenwriting writing himself into the script. I might go to the library tomorrow and look up The Orchid Thief, though.

6/30/05

The Phantom of the Opera (DVD)

I think the fact I’m intimately familiar with the score allowed me to enjoy this movie. I don’t think of Andrew Lloyd Webber very highly anymore, but revisiting a work I adored as a teenager — especially from adult perspective — was nice. Also, Joel Schumacer is exactly the kind of heavy-handed director suitable for this score. The move worked for me because it was gaudy as hell.

6/26/05

American Splendor (DVD)

6/25/05

Lost in Translation (DVD)

The Presdient’s Analyst (DVD, Jette’s house)

6/24/05

Kinsey

6/22/05

Memento (DVD)

Primer (DVD)

6/21/05

Kung-Fu Hustle (Alamo Drafthouse)

6/19/05

Star Wars: A New Hope (DVD)

6/18/05

Howl’s Moving Castle (AMC Barton Creek)

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (DVD)

6/16/05

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (DVD)

6/12/05

A Room with a View (DVD)

Sense and Sensibility (DVD)

6/11/05

Ghost World (DVD)

6/10/05

Say Anything (DVD)

6/05/05

Chicago (DVD)

06/04/05

Fargo (DVD)

Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (Alamo Drafthouse South)

Maurice (DVD)

6/03/05

Donnie Darko (DVD)