Movie Meme - Part 4

Okay, I've been neglecting this for a while. This is partly because I've been watching a whole lot of movies and tv shows lately, so here's an update.

16. The Boat That Rocked: The director of Love Actually gives us his take on the pirate radio stations of the 1960's. This movie has a great cast (including Kiwi Rhys Darby, and an unrecognisable Kenneth Brannagh), witty script, and some of the best music from the era. An excellent date movie.

17. Krod Mandoon (TV): Umm, this is a bit of a hard one to describe. Think Hercules mixed with the sensibilities of Rocky Horror Picture Show and starring a mix of British and American actors - including Matt Lucas as the villainous Chancellor Donold David Dongalor.

18. Race to Witch Mountain: Yes, it's a kids movie, but that doesn't stop it being a fun hour and a half of Dwayne Johnson playing guardian to a couple of extraterrestial children. This movie has a surprisingly good cast list, and at least one cameo, too. There were a couple of aspects which felt like they were borrowed from Stargate, but it wasn't too excessive.

19. The Listener (TV): It looks like Toronto is the new go-to city when it comes to making TV shows. This one features an EMT with the ability to read people minds. Had this come out before Heroes the premise might be a little more novel, but now it feels a little rehashed. Still, it's a fun show. Episodic in nature, but with hints of metaplot. Lots of fresh new faces, with an occasional appearance by Colm Feore.

20. The West Wing (TV): I honestly don't know why I didn't get into this series sooner. I guess back when it first started I wasn't that interested in American politics. A decade later I guess I'm a somewhat different person. There is one thing which bugs me about the show, however. The closing music is a little too upbeat, especially when you consider how many of the episodes end on a rather depressed note.

21. Better Off Ted (TV): The BEST new sitcom of this year. Yes, it's ballsy to say this so early on, but the show is just that good. It's a bit like Brazil meets Office Space with a healthy injection of funny - and Portia de Rossi as the boss.

22. The Unusuals (TV): Amber Tamlyn plays a former vice cop who is transferred to a unit of misfits after one of their number is killed. This is an odd show which seems to be wavering between drama and funny, never really spending too much time on either one. On the upside, it has a pretty good cast.

23. Harper's Island (TV): One island, 13 episodes, lots of murder. Sadly, not the premise for the next season of Survivor. This show is more like a TV adaptation of Ten Little Indians, except that not everyone on the cast is a murderer (as far as we know).

24. Religulous: I fully went into this movie expecting it to be the usual 'in your face' fare you get from Bill Maher, but I must admit that I was surprised. He felt somewhat restrained as he travelled the world and talked to members from the Abrahamic religions (except for the Mormons, who just used security guards to kick him out). He was also surprisingly candid about his own religious upbringings, beginning the movie with an interview with his Jewish mother (Maher himself was raised Catholic). I know a lot of people will not like this movie because of it's content, but it is still worth watching.

25. A dozen different Darwin documentaries: This year would have been Charles Darwin's 200th birthday, and to celebrate TV networks around the world are putting out their own documentaries about his life. I've watched a few of them, but there really is only so much you can say about one of the most famous scientists in history. The best ones, so far, have been where scientists have retraced his journeys and visited some of the locations which were so influential in his work. I've always preferred show over tell.