sfdavide's blog

39 Steps Marathon

2011-11-09T22:11:00.000-08:00

Just finished a 39 Steps marathon having watched 4 versions. From worst to best are the 1978 version starring Micheal Powell getting a 4/10. This is upposed to be closest to the book but is just too unbelievable especially at the end with Powell hanging form the clock's hands. Next is the 1959 version starring Kenneth More which is average at best, 6/10. Thw BBC version is not bad getting q 7/10 but the best, not surprisingly is the Hitchcock version, 8/10. It proves how good he was. Out of the 4 using the same or very simialr stories his was the best by quite a bit

spadix - Definition of spadix at YourDictionary.com

2009-10-30T00:47:00.000-07:00

spadix - Definition of spadix at YourDictionary.com

apotheosis - Definition of apotheosis at YourDictionary.com

2009-10-25T19:04:00.000-07:00

apotheosis - Definition of apotheosis at YourDictionary.com

My review of Shutter (Thai version)

2008-07-29T23:52:00.000-07:00

One of the scariest and creepiest film I have ever seen. This is the version to see not the crappy American remake which proves again when American filmmakers try to remake a asian horror film they always fail. This is the story of a ghost haunting her ex boyfriend Tun and his friends. Some of the most frightening scenes I have seen in a film in a long while. The scene on the ladder when Natre is climbing down the ladder head first after Tun is great. The ending while I do not want to give away too much is chilling. This is the first film in a while that left goose bumps and had the hair standing up on my arms. Definitely recommended to anyone who likes creepy films

A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore

2008-07-13T20:43:00.000-07:00

Charlie Asher is a normal male living in San Francisco, what he calls a beta male. He owns a secondhand store that he inherited from his father and is married to Rachel.
When Rachel dies after giving birth to his daughter Sophie, Charlie sees a site he is not supposed to see one of death's assistants. No mortal human is supposed to see this. After this people die when he is around them and he starts seeing names and dates on his notepad near his bed. These are people who will be dying soon and he will have to retrieve thier souls, he is chosen to be one of death's assitants, he calls himself a death merchant. Charlie goes through much to protect his daughter including being seduced by "birdlike"thing that nearly pokes her talons through his ear into his brain. With hounds from Hell, shadows of ravens, wacky characters like Lily, a goth high school student who is always playing hooky from school and has a truant officer on her trail, who works for Charlie, Ray another employee who searches the internet for filipino mail order brides and thinks Charlie is a serial killer because things turn up in the store from recently deceased people, his sister Jane a lesbian who wears mens suits and Mrs. Ling and Mrs. Korjev neighbors and Sophies baby sitters. Mrs Ling thinks a shiksa is a shih tzu and Mrs Korjev thinks everything is a bear.
Christopher Moore has put together a likable and at numerous time a laugh out loud funny story. As Pil Kloer from the san Diego Union says "He(Moore) is Stephen King with a whoopee cushion and a double espresso imagination

my review for The Aristocrats

2008-07-11T08:13:00.000-07:00

For Paul Provenza and Penn Jillette to even think a film about a really bad joke would work was insane. Guess what, not only did it work but it may have been the funniest movie ever. I have laughed before at films, Harold and Maude, Some Like it Hot, etc, but never as hard or as much as I did for this film. I was laughing so hard that I had to watch it again because I missed what was being said in the next scene.The joke does not make any sense and is not funny. What is funny are the different ways comedians remember it and their reflections and retellings of it. The highlights are George Carlin and Gilbert Gottfried. I have never been a Gottfried fan but his telling of the joke at the Friars Roast of Hugh Hefner is classic. Carlin makes up his own version of the joke on the spot and even though very disgusting is very funny. Even the normally "clean" Paul Reiser has a graphic and hilarious retelling of the joke.I had trepidations about watching this film. A 90 minute movie about a joke, right. But after seeing it I am glad I did and will be recommending to all my friends.

My review of the movie Vantage Point

2008-07-03T00:02:00.000-07:00

I just wasted almost 90 minutes. I say almost 90 minutes because without the credits they could not even stretch it that far and that includes a car chase that seems to go on and on and on and on. They could have made a great film but misfired badly. With Forrest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver, Matthew Fox, Dennis Quaid, William Hurt, and Bruce McGill they had a great cast and gave them nothing. Too bad. I was looking forward to watching this. This story of the attempted assassination of the president at a worldwide summit could have been a blockbuster. The only thing I liked about this was the attempt to make it different by going back to see the attempt from different character's vantage point. But even that was a problem because you could not get involved emotionally with the characters. Please avoid this movie

my review of the film Twentieth Century

2008-07-02T22:52:00.000-07:00

"Twentieth Century" is a wonderfully wacky screwball comedy. With great performances by John Barrymore and Carole Lombard. It is the story of a Broadway producer who had hits with a certain actress and then when she leaves him and becomes a star in Hollywood He has nothing but flops. The Twentieth Century is a train that both this producer and actress happen to be on. The different ways that this producer tries to get her back under contract are hilarious. It is great to see John Barrymore before his alcoholism took his looks and talent at the top of his form. We can also see why Carole Lombard became the star that she did in her wonderful performance

My review of the film Bin-Jip

2008-07-02T22:50:00.000-07:00

I didn't think that Ki-duk Kim could do better then Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring... but with 3-Iron he has surpassed it by quite a bit. This film at times reminds you of a silent movie which makes it all the more amazing. Not a word is spoken between the two main characters but you know exactly what they are thinking because of the great performances by Hyun-kyoon Lee and Seung-yeon Lee.This story of a drifter who breaks into peoples homes and instead of stealing things he helps out the people by doing their laundry and washing dishes. He leaves their places cleaner then when he came in. It may not sound interesting but in the hands of one of the worlds most skilled directors and two great actors it is one of the most fascinating and memorable films ever made.

Read the Nobels: Thank you for the invitation#links

2008-07-02T08:50:00.000-07:00

Read the Nobels: Thank you for the invitation#links

My blog is at sfdavide.blogspot.com

new challenges that I joined

2008-07-02T03:03:00.000-07:00

I just joined 3 new posts along with My Christpher Moore challenge and the Lost challenge.
What An Animal Challenge
New Classics challenge EW top 100
Presidential challenge

Look for my reviews here

Lost challenge

2008-06-16T22:08:00.000-07:00

I am joining Amy's challenge. The books I am reading are
Evil Under the Sun
A Brief History of Time
Heart of Darkness
The Third Policeman
Watership Down
Lord of the Flies

Christopher Moore challenge

2008-06-16T01:57:00.000-07:00

Starting on July 1, 2008 and running until April 1, 2008. We must read 1 Christopher Moore book a month for 10 straight months. You may post books from other challenges. Lets have fun and read books from one of the funniest people writing today