Mumbles, where's Lips Manlis?

I'm very fond of the movie Dick Tracy (1990), I got it one Christmas on VHS when I was probably 8 or 9, before that I was a regular viewer of the short cartoons (I believe it was the 1961 series The Dick Tracy Show), so I was somewhat familiar with the characters such as Pruneface, Mumbles and Flattop. I'd watched this movie many times as a child and seen it somewhat sprodically as a teenager and a adult, but the affection still remained.

As I'm an adult now (it's odd because I rarely describe myself as an adult) I appreciate the set design, the costumes a lot more now, they are fantastic and have a comic strip quality to them. The thing I love most about the movie nowadays is the cast, it's truly memorable including Dustin Hoffman, Al Pacino, James Caan, Mandy Patinkin, William Forsythe, Michael J. Pollard, Charles During and minor roles for Catherine O'Hara and Mary Woronov. Madonna, is I think the best she as ever been, it's the only time I've ever thought she was truly sexual (without been laughable) on film, Warren Beatty is a decent Dick Tracy (and he also directs here), I'm not a massive fan of his but he's good in the role.

I recommend this greatly, it's fun and great to look at (Dustin Hoffman's Mumbles is probably worth the price of the disc alone), negatively the songs are forgotten after the film's finished though they are good within the film. It's really a shame there never was a sequel (even though most of the Dick Tracy characters are used here). I recommend this film because it's terrific.

Whatup?

Didn't have as much time to myself to watch as many films as I'd hoped this weekend and have only had time to watch two. The two are pretty different movies.

Stranger Than Fiction (2006) is Will Ferrell's first foray into more serious material (a lá Jim Carrey in the Truman Show) and is surronded by a wonderful cast including the lovely Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman and Arrested Development's Buster Tony Hale. The film reminded me a little of Charlie Kaufman's work in the most flatering sense, writer Zach Helm is certainly one to watch for the future, the high concept plot sees Ferrell as an IRS investigator who starts hearing a woman's voice narrate is life, one days he hears her say that is death is imminent. It's a wonderfuly kookie movie that I strongly recommend.

Con Air (1997) is a different type of movie = pure popcorn. The movie is dumb from start to finish and more then once defies logic and common sense, it's never meant to be high art but it's utterly enjoyable with enough exciting and (intenionally) funny moments. A good cast to boot including Ving Rhames, M.C. Gainey and Dave Chappelle in supporting roles, Steve Buscemi is the best though, when I was a youngling this film played a small part in me becoming a fan of him.

The Departed, The Devil Wears Prada, Rent and The Black Dahlia should be among those watched this week.