Summer Leftovers

You cannot believe how much I embrace the age of Netflix and iTunes where you could watch a film literally everywhere and without having to buy a DVD. I fucking love digital download. Let me rephrase this: I fucking love "digital" download. So, anyway, this week I caught up with the summer films I missed, which means a whole lot of hours devoted to watching a screen. But dude, that is the life. Not spending countless hours on meaningless lectures in university and dealing with too much stupid along the way.


The Heat
The Sandra Bullock/Melissa McCarthy buddy cop comedy is actually not among my watchlist in the summer. I find it too comedic for my taste, just like how Identity Thief didn't spark any interest in me. However, I find The Heat to be quite entertaining and funny at times, but didn't last that long in my memory. Melissa McCarthy stole the film for me, she's just too funny. But Sandra Bullock didn't do a bad job either, she can equal McCarthy and in a few times, top McCarthy. The jokes on the albino guy are the best in the film (although highly inappropriate, but that what makes it funny right?). The Heat: rated 3/4

The Conjuring
Finally I got to see one of two James Wan's horror films this year. The film got my attention after the news told that the film got an R rating just because it was too creepy and scary. The film is incredibly well-made, the main actors Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are already used to this kind of environment (Wilson in Insidious and Farmiga in Bates Motel series). The child actors are okay too (in the sense that they are not annoying). What sucks is that this film is NOT that scary. Maybe I set a really high expectation on this film that I ended up disappointed. I bet Insidious Chapter Two is far more terrifying than this. The Conjuring: rated 3/4

The Internship
Some regard this as a semi-sequel to the superbly funny Wedding Crashers with both Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn. The story follows the two of them chasing jobs at Google via a summer internship. They became misfits and worse, ended up with other misfits. The film is funny and kinda dirty (just like my preference), but not as funny as Wedding Crashers. But the story is good enough. Although some logic are just fucked up like how come Wilson and Vaughn's characters know The Hunger Games but not Harry Potter or X-Men? In this world nowadays, even my mother and father knows about them. And it's great to see Will Ferrell here although once again, not as funny as Wedding Crashers. AND THERE'S ROSE BYRNE AND JESSICA SZOHR. YES. Anyway, The Internship: rated 3/4 (but funnier than The Heat)

White House Down
I actually can see this film in the theaters in Japan but I decided to skip this. Mostly because the trailer for this film was off-putting for me. The trailer showed a strange mix of action and comedy that didn't appeal me. But hey, in the actual film, it works! White House Down might not be listed as anyone's favorite this year, but the film is a great time. There's an equal amount of action and comedy along with great actors and great destruction. It seems that after G.I. Joe Retaliation fucked up with Channing Tatum, I get to appreciate his role more, especially in this film. Tatum and Foxx are a great pair, supported by stunning cast that includes child actor/young Talia Al-Ghul Joey King, Jason Clarke and James Woods. This film doesn't disappoints but it's just not that great in terms of quality. White House Down: rated 3/4

*BONUS: WHD versus OHF
Olympus Has Fallen may the better film in overall but White House Down has that irresistible and spot-on casting. White House Down may have a greater action but Olympus Has Fallen has that gore action. I bet if they teamed up and made Olympus House Down the result would be..............  disastrous. No just kidding, it could be better than both films. See you next year for the battle of the Hercules films.

Monsters University
This is also the other film that I can see in Japanese theaters but I would definitely waste 1k yen because animated films are dubbed in Japan. The film itself is the second top grosser only after Miyazaki's The Wind Rises. The film itself is a pleasant surprise because I honestly have very low expectations for anything other than an original Pixar film except Toy Story films. The story is your usual heartfelt Pixar although not the 'back-to-form' Pixar, but an acceptable 'getting-there' Pixar. Love the voiceworks especially when you recognize Nathan Fillion's voice right away. Honorable mentions (not mentioning the Monsters regulars--Crystal, Goodman, Buscemi because they are already greats), Charlie Day as Art and Helen Mirren as Dean Hardscrabble. Monsters University: rated 3.5/4.

Man most of em are rated 3/4. is it me that's hard to please, or is it them?
Actually there are many leftovers that I haven't watched, but then again they are THE leftovers.