Thomas On Talkies #1

So I have decided to start a blog. I know there are a million of these out here and I decided to follow one of my major passions: movies. In the content of this blog I will be giving reviews on movies in theaters, new to DVD/ Blu-ray, and picking selections out of the Netflix Instant pool. Also I will have a top 5 list with every blog. Feel free to leave comments suggesting categories for the top five and I will give credit where credit is due. I will post news on movies as it strikes me, however this will not be geek-central where you can find a spoiler every time a camera catches Christian Bale sneezing next to Anne Hathaway. For that coverage check out slashfilm.com or the IGN movies podcast. So here is entry #1.

The last movie seen at the cineplex was The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. This is the first movie I have ever seen that I would suggest seeing alone. It is not a date movie and under no circumstances should you ever watch this with your parents. The main thing that makes this movie so hard to watch is the fact that there is unnecessary sex scenes and  2 rape scenes in it and if these are easy for you to watch, I suggest a counselor.  I know that these are directly from the book (I have read all three) but they you can set up a scene and leave the rest up to the audiences imagination without having to see what is happening.What makes it easy to watch is a good mystery, great performances by Rooney Mara and Stellan Skarsgard, and a well paced script. It never slows down to the point of boredom and held my attention. They way to watch this one: Redbox it when you are looking to spend a night home alone.

My Netflix selection this time out is The Machinist staring Christian Bale. I watched this because I have become a huge fan of Bale, not due to Batman, although I love those films, but due to his Oscar winning role in The Fighter. So he plays a guy who hasn’t slept in a year and is slowly going nuts. He dropped 60+ pounds for this role (a record) and he shows me again why he is becoming one of my favorite actors.Make sure you note stuff that happens every time a clock shows 1:30.  The movie itself could be called I Know What You did Last Fight Club. But it is still worth checking out. The way to watch this one: With your honey after the kids are in bed, but with enough time that you won’t fall asleep and miss the payoff.

Here is my first ever top 5, and the category is the top 5 Christian Bale performances:

1. The Fighter (deserved the oscar)

2. Batman (either one was great despite his horrid Clint Eastwood ripoff voice when in the suit)

3. The Machinist (amazing performance in a slightly above mediocre movie)

4. Shaft (in a movie that is what it is, he and Jeffery Wright outshine Sam Jackson, cracks me up that Bale lists being called a MFer by Shaft as one of his favortie career acomplishments.

5. Empire of the Sun (at age 14 took direction from Speilberg and delivered an amazing performance)

Here you go, please leave honest feedback, don’t just kiss my butt because it will not get better if you do. Also comment ideas for top 5’s the more obscure the better, such as the top 5 featuring a great actor with an animal etc.

Thanks for reading and when it comes to movies, don’t be afraid to try new dishes!!!!