Movie #386 - Heartbreakers

Heartbreakers
2001 - Rated PG-13 - 2 hr 3 min
Director: David Mirkin
Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Gene Hackman, Ray Liotta, Jason Lee, Anne Bancroft, Jeffrey Jones, Nora Dunn, Sarah Silverman, Zach Galifiankais, Shawn Colvin, Michael Hitchcock

Mother-daughter con artists Weaver and Hewitt are pretty well paired in this movie.  While it's not the best of films, the relationship between them has all the right elements. They're slightly competitive, they love each other, they trust each other, but they have way too much in common sometimes.  Shame on Weaver's character for bringing her daughter up to be a con, but I guess it's like they say about that apple and the tree.

There's not much too exciting about this one, save Sigourney Weaver's accent, and the whole Jason Lee as a love interest thing just doesn't make sense in my head.  But it's nice to see at least that Hewitt tries to make it legit by the end!

Movie #373 - Dreamcatcher

Dreamcatcher
2003 - Rated R - 2 hr 16 min
Director: Lawrence Kasdan
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Thomas Jane, Jason Lee, Damian Lewis, Timothy Olyphant, Tom Sizemore, Donnie Wahlberg

What a weird movie this is.  But it's Stephen King, so you know... it happens.  There are aliens and weird worm virus thingies and a super-smart kid with mental problems who grows up to be Donnie Walhberg... and then can kill the bad alien guys.

This is one of those movies that you watch and follow along and everything seems okay... then you get to the end and you kinda feel like you've been punched in the head or something.  What the hell did I just watch? you may ask yourself.  You followed it, it was making sense... but when you take stock of the whole 2+ hours you can't really remember how you got from point A to B. You know what I mean?

Good cast though, so that part is lots of fun.  There's lots that goes unexplained and I suppose, for the purposes of this movie, that's a good thing.  To watch this one, you've got to be able to just accept some weird stuff. If you're new to Stephen King, this might not be the first one to watch... just sayin'.

Movie #322 - Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
2001 - Rated R - 1 hr 44 min
Director: Kevin Smith
Starring: Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, Ben Affleck, Shannon Elizabeth, Eliza Dushku, Ali Larter, Jeff Anderson, Brian O'Halloran, Will Ferrell, Jason Lee, Judd Nelson, George Carlin, Carrie Fisher, Seann William Scott, Matt Damon, Jon Stewart, Tracy Morgan, Gus Van Sant, Chris Rock, Jamie Kennedy, Mark Hamill and tons of other cameos....

There are too many cameos in this crazy movie for me to tag and list here... It's a veritable Who's Who of past Kevin Smith films.  A reunion of sorts.  Written as a promise to pal Jason Mewes (after the actor went to rehab and got clean), Smith's reunion movie pulls out all the stops.  They even dig up Morris Day & the Time for the grand finale.

So Jay and Silent Bob are on a cross-country adventure, hoping to claim the royalties they're owed by Brodie for using their comic book likenesses in a new movie. Along the way, as in any good road trip movie, they meet a lot of wacky characters. Some try to help them, others frame them for robbery.  Many old favorites pop up again from Mooby's to the Quik Stop.  And Ben Affleck and Matt Damon appear both as characters in the film and as themselves... so that's fun.

This isn't a movie to watch if you've never seen a Kevin Smith film before.  If you have, it's like watching a long string of inside jokes being told by familiar friends.  If you're a fan, chances are you've already seen this anyway... so what am I telling you for?

Movie #306 - The Incredibles

The Incredibles
2004 - Rated PG - 1 hr 55 min
Director: Brad Bird
Starring: Craig T Nelson, Samuel L Jackson, Holly Hunter, Jason Lee, Wallace Shawn

This one's got a lovable cast, creative premise, and the genius of Brad Bird. What's not to love?  This has always been a favorite of mine - retired superheroes and their children come out of hiding to defeat the forces of evil.  Of course, there's much more to it that makes this family of superheroes likable and, heck, even realistic.  The love between Bob and Helen, the everyday struggles these superkids face in extraordinary ways, and even the troublesome infant... it's normal stuff made not normal with the addition of super powers.

The villain is kinda lame: a childhood fan of Mr. Incredible who gets shunned by the superhero.  He's older now, plus he's evil. He's been killing other superheroes and has finally tracked down his old "nemesis" and hopes to eliminate him as well.  Is Mr. Incredible too out of shape to triumph over evil?

As with most Disney/Pixar creations, this movie is fun for kids but also appeals to adults, almost effortlessly.  And Edna Mode is just hysterical no matter how old you are.

Movie #249 - A Guy Thing

A Guy Thing
2003 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 41 min
Director: Chris Koch
Starring: Jason Lee, Julia Stiles, Selma Blair, James Brolin, Shawn Hatosy, David Koechner, Julie Hagerty, Thomas Lennon, Jackie Burroughs

I think this movie is really funny, but I realize that not everyone agrees with me.  I mean, Jason Lee as the romantic lead? Torn between Julia Stiles and Selma Blair?  It's unlikely, but it does afford for many hillarious moments.

From bathroom crabs to underwear bins, Jason Lee tests the solidarity of the male sex.  Will his friends back up all his lies? What about total strangers?  He doesn't mean to be "cheating" and hiding things from his fiance, but stuff just keeps happening to him, whether he wants it to or not.

Yes, it's based on an infidelity...which I'm usually not a fan of in movies.  But everyone gets their own happy ending and no feelings are hurt in the process.  That's how we know it's only a movie...

Movie #167 - Dogma

Dogma
1999 - Rated R - 2 hr 10 min
Director: Kevin Smith
Starring: Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Linda Fiorentino, Chris Rock, George Carlin, Salma Hayek, Alan Rickman, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, Jason Lee

Who isn't in this movie?  It's like a Who's Who of Kevin Smith films.  Even Brian O'Halloran makes an appearance. Impressive.

Believe it or not, this was the first Kevin Smith movie I ever saw.  But I knew afterwards that I was a fan and I needed to see more.  That lead to Clerks, Chasing Amy, Mallrats... and I even went to see Jersey Girl.  That's dedication.

What makes this movie even greater than his others is the seamless way he blends his usual comedy with Catholic dogma.  Alan Rickman as the angel Gabriel? Only Kevin Smith would think of this.  George Carlin as a cardinal? Ditto.  And of course, adding Jay and Silent Bob elevates this to a whole new level... and ranks them as the greatest "prophets" the world has ever known.

Only watch this movie if you can laugh at religion, or else you're going to hate it.  The humor isn't mean-spirited or disrespectful in anyway, but you have to have a sense of humor about it.  It isn't meant to be taken seriously, but it's message is: don't believe blindly, just have a good idea.