let's get to the core of it all

I was just busy at work reorganizing my Netflix queue and submitting a few star ratings for movies when something struck me hard. Maybe it's silly, but for some reason I got all crazy when looking at all the different reviews people gave to the same movie. It blew my mind how one person could give a film like "Lady in the Water" 5 stars and another person would give it only 1. Is there a universal good? Can you create a film that is loved by all? I dunno. It was just about this time that I was putting in my rating for "The Core" And Roger Ebert's review caught my eye.

I have such an unreasonable affection for this movie, indeed, that it is only by slapping myself alongside the head and drinking black coffee that I can restrain myself from recommending it. It is only a notch down from "Congo," "Anaconda," "Lara Croft, Tomb Raider" and other films which those with too little taste think they have too much taste to enjoy.

Now, it doesn't happen very often that I agree with good ol' Rog' but this time I found myself nodding and chuckling to myself. But unlike the other films mentioned in his review, The Core's got a fair amount of "wha... holy sh*t! What's gonna happen next?!" to keep you watching on. Don't get me wrong, I'd never go so far as to say it's a great film. But there's something fun here if you can get past the crappiness.

Kind of like James Whale's 1930 horror flics "Frankenstein" and "Bride of Frankenstein", Jon Amiel and his crew have made a movie that doesn't take itself too seriously. I know what you're saying. "Scuttlebutt's comparing Frankenstein to The Core?!!! What is he stupid or something?!" Well, yeah, it's probably a pretty big stretch. Perhaps this analogy would be more suited to comparing Frankenstein to Starship Troopers (another one of those films that makes you go hmm...crap? or crap!) But it was "The Core" that got me thinkin' so that's what I'm stickin' with.

Anyway, this post is getting a little to heady for it's own good so let's end it here. But I ask you to just keep in mind that movies are made for you to enjoy. If you don't like a flic, that's fine. But there are many levels to watch movies on.

a few more for the flickerin':
Innerspace **** - 80's movies are just so cool! The don't make them like this anymore.
The Departed *** - Good, but Scorsese got the Oscar for history's sake, not this little flic.
Babel **** - better than 21 grams, less heart than Amoros Perros.
Lady in the Water * - M.Knight's full of himself!
Happy Feet *** - Expected a LOT less from this, It's still crap but it's trying.
Monster House *** - Dark and edgy. The future of Animated films?