Osmosis for 2007

  • os•mo•sis, noun: figurative the process of gradual or unconscious assimilation of ideas, knowledge, etc.: what she knows of the blue-blood set she learned not through birthright, not even through wealth, but through osmosis.

Rather than fill up my blog with lots of boring entries on what stuff I’ve been, I thought I’d keep track of the movies and books I’ve read in 2007 on a separate page. Let’s see how disciplined I am in updating this…

Movies

  • 5th of January: Blood Diamond (Hoyts Broadway, 8/10). Leonardo as a slightly evil South African? I like.
  • 1st of February: Perfume (Hoyts Cinema Paris, 7/10). This was a must-see for me, seeing as I had read the (fabulous!) book.
  • 4th of February: The Fountain (Hoyts George St City, 8/10). A simple story that’s both beautifully told and beautiful to watch. Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz; how can you go wrong?
  • 10th of February: Fight Club (DVD, repeat viewing, 8/10). Still holds up incredibly well after the third or fourth watch.
  • 11th of February: Pan’s Labyrinth (Hoyts George St City, 7/10). An interesting mix of fairy tales and gruesome WWII stories. It doesn’t quite hit its target, but was still well worth watching.
  • 10th of March: Quand j’étais chanteur, a.k.a The Singer (Palace Academy Paddington, 6.5/10). Part of the French film festival; Gerard Depardieu is really an excellent actor in his own native tongue.
  • 18th of March: Hors de Prix, a.k.a. Priceless (Palace Academy Leichardt, 7/10). Part of the French film festival.
  • 24th of March: The Illusionist (Greater Union Tuggerah, 7/10). Has Edward Norton ever been in a bad movie?
  • 3rd of April: Hot Fuzz (Hoyts Fox Studios, 8.5/10).
  • 10th of April: 300 (Hoyts Westfield Chatswood, 7.5/10).
  • 7th of May: La Science des rêves, a.k.a. The Science of Sleep (Hayden Orpheum, 7/10).
  • 12th of May: Spider-man 3 (Hoyts Westfield Chatswood, 7.5/10). Bruce Campbell in his funniest role since Evil Dead III.
  • 22nd of May: Shooter (Greater Union Macquarie, 7/10).
  • 27th of May: Tales from Earthsea (Dendy Newtown, 6.5/10).
  • 30th of May: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (Hayden Orpheum, 7/10).
  • 27th of June: Knocked Up (AMC Pacific Theatres, The Grove, Los Angeles, 8/10).
  • 29th of June: Blades of Glory (Air New Zealand LAX to SYD, 8/10).
  • 1st of July: Transformers (Hoyts Broadway, 8/10). It seems that Michael Bay can actually make a good movie.
  • 8th of July: Ocean’s Thirteen (Greater Union Bondi Junction, 7/10).
  • 17th of July: Harry Potter and the Order Of the Phoenix (special groovy RSP screening at Hoyts, Fox Studios, 7/10).
  • 2nd of August: Notes on a Scandal (DVD, 7/10).
  • 5th of August: Fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain, Le, a.k.a. Amélie (DVD, 8.5/10). Just gorgeous.
  • 7th of August: The Simpsons Movie (Hoyts Fox Studios, 7.5/10).
  • 17th of August: Die Hard 4.0 (Hoyts Broadway, 7.5/10).
  • 14th of September: The Bourne Ultimatum (Greater Union Bondi Junction, 6.5/10). Shaky-gam galore. At least Die Hard 4.0 didn’t take itself seriously, whereas the Bourne Ultimatum took itself way too seriously.
  • 22nd of September: Ratatouille (Hoyts Broadway, 8.5/10). Pixar can do no wrong.
  • 23rd of September: An Inconvenient Truth (DVD, 8.5/10).
  • 30th of September: The Holiday (DVD, 7/10). Most cliché plot ever, but excellent execution. (I ♥ Kate Winslet.)
  • 5th of October: Shaun of the Dead (DVD, 7.5/10).
  • 6th of October: Rush Hour 3 (Hoyts Chatswood Westfield, 6.5/10).
  • 13th of October: Resident Evil: Extinction (Shaw Cinemas, Isetan Singapore, 6.5/10).
  • 4th of November: A Chinese Odyssey (DVD, 6.5/10).
  • 18th of November: Elizabeth: The Golden Age (Reading Cinemas at Rhodes, 7/10).
  • 2nd of December: Stranger Than Fiction (DVD, 8/10).
  • 9th of December: Ghost in the Shell S.A.C.: Solid State Society (DVD, 9/10). I didn’t expect the movie sequel to Stand Alone Complex: 2nd Gig to live up to the same standards as the series. It did. My only minor problem with it is that it’s not very accessible to people who aren’t used to seriously complex plot lines, which limits it enjoyment to a smaller audience.
  • 16th of December: The Prestige (DVD, 8.5/10).
  • 24th of December: National Treasure: Book of Secrets (Hoyts Chatswood Westfield, 7.5/10). Ah, gotta love those Indiana Jones throwbacks.
  • 28th of December: Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (Hoyts Chatswood Mandarin, 7.5/10). Woo Dessler!

Movies for 2008

  • 5th of January: The Golden Compass (Reading Cinemas at Rhodes, 7/10).
  • 12th of January: 2 Days in Paris (Dendy Opera Quays, 7/10).
  • 23rd of February: Shoot Em Up (DVD, 8/10).
  • 29th of February: Battlestar Galactica: Razor (DVD, 8.5/10).
  • 9th of March: Afro Samurai (DVD, 7/10).
  • 9th of March: Run Fatboy Run (Greater Union Bondi Junction, 7/10).
  • 15th of March: Rambo (Hoyts Chatswood Mandarin, 8/10).
  • 16th of March: Le Prix à payer, a.k.a. The Price to Pay (Palace Academy Leichardt, 7/10).
  • 22rd of March: Futurama: Bender’s Big Score (DVD, 7.5/10).
  • 22nd of March: The Departed (DVD, 8/10).
  • 23rd of March: Planet Terror (DVD, 7.5/10).
  • 23rd of March: Renaissance (DVD, 8/10).
  • 30th of March: The Other Boleyn Girl (Randwick Ritz, 7/10).
  • 22nd of April: Appleseed Ex Machina (DVD, 7/10).
  • 26th of April: Michael Clayton (DVD, 7/10).
  • 27th of April: Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theatres (For DVD) (DVD, 7/10).
  • 6th of May: Iron Man (Hoyts Chatswood Westfield, 8/10).
  • 28th of May: Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (DVD, 8.5/10).
  • 31st of May: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Hoyts Chatswood Westfield, 7/10). This movie would’ve been a lot better if weren’t for the complete utter crack in last thirty minutes. Still, it was enjoyable. (Christ, do Spoilburg and Lucas have to bugger up every single franchise they start?)
  • 16th of June: WALL•E (Pixar Theatre at Pixar HQ, 8/10). Such a simple and sweet story, and immensely lovable.
  • 22nd of June: Get Smart (Regal Threatres, Pioneer Place, Portland, 7/10). Anne Hathaway = Hawt.
  • 23rd of June: Kung Fu Panda (AMC Pacific Theatres, Century City, Los Angeles, 8.5/10).
  • 13th of July: Hancock (Hoyts Westfield Chatswood, 7/10). The first half was so much better than the second half…
  • 19th of July: Clerks 2 (DVD, 7.5/10). A worthy successor to the first!
  • 21st of July: Blade Runner: The Final Cut (DVD, 8.5/10). How had I not seen this movie for so damn long?
  • 8th of August: Wanted (Hoyts Westfield Chatswood, 7/10). More amusing than I thought it’d be, and Jesus Christ Angelina Jolie is hot.
  • 15th of August: The Dark Knight (IMAX Sydney, 9/10). Good ol’ Gary Oldman.
  • 16th of August: The Bank Job (Greater Union Tuggerah, 8/10). Huh, and Martene Love was Angel in Wing Commander. (Hey, I liked Wing Commander… sort of.)
  • 3rd of September: Hellboy II: The Golden Army (Cineworld Wandsworth London, 6.5/10).
  • 16th of September: The Hunting Party (Cineleisure Orchard Singapore, 8/10). Holy wow, a movie where I actually like Richard Gere?
  • 3rd of October: WALL•E (Hoyts Chatswood Westfield, 8.5/10). You pick up so many subtle things that Pixar did on the second viewing.
  • 5th of October: Superbad (DVD, 8/10).
  • 8th of October: Juno (DVD, 7.5/10).
  • 9th of October: Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay (DVD, 7/10).
  • 17th of October: Forgetting Sarah Marshall (DVD, 7/10). Looked like the cheesiest romantic comedy until the end of the movie, when it redeemed itself a bit.
  • 18th of October: 21 (DVD, 7/10).
  • 18th of October: Dan in Real Life (DVD, 7.5/10). I must be getting old to appreciate a movie like this.
  • 19th of October: Charlie Wilson’s War (DVD, 7/10). Man, I’d be a lot happier if my electoral representative were Charlie Wilson instead of Brendan f**king Nelson.
  • 21st of October: How to Lose Friends and Alienate People (Odeon Brighton, 7/10). Man, this movie was looking so good until the last 15 minutes, when it turned completely cheesy.
  • 22nd of October: Burn After Reading (Duke of York’s Brighton, 7.5/10).
  • 25th of October: Legally Blonde (DVD, 7/10). Woo Luke Wilson.
  • 26th of October: I Am Legend (DVD, 7/10).
  • 6th of November: Quantum of Solace (Duke of York’s Brighton, 7/10).
  • 10th of November: Pineapple Express (DVD, 8/10). Stick around for the last half an hour, it’s worth it.
  • 5th of December: Sleepless in Seattle (iTunes rental, 7/10). When Harry Met Sally is way better, but Meg Ryan is still hot.
  • 8th of December: Ever After (DVD, 8/10). Reminds me so much of the Princess Bride: simple story, wonderfully told and full of charm. Or maybe I was just in a chick flick mood.
  • 21st of December: Kenny (DVD, 8/10). Charming.

Movies for 2009

  • 26th of January: Kung Fu Hustle (DVD, 7/10). Man, Huang Sheng Yi is hawt.
  • 19th of February: Frost/Nixon (Pixar Main Theatre, 7/10).
  • 21st of February: Coraline (AMC Van Ness 14, 7.5/10).
  • 1st of March: Taken (AMC Sony Metreon, 7/10).
  • 6th of March: Watchmen (Pixar Main Theatre, 8/10).
  • 17th of March: _Wallace & Gromit in A Matter Of Loaf And Death* (Pixar Main Theatre, 8/10).
  • 17th of March: Toy Story 2 (DVD, 8/10).
  • 18th of March: The Secret of Kells (Pixar Main Theatre, 8/10).
  • 25th of March: Tropic Thunder (DVD, 7/10).
  • 28th of March: Cars (DVD, 8/10).
  • 5th of April: _ vs Aliens_ (AMC Van Ness 14, 7/10). It’s good for what it is, which is a pop movie. Nothing deep, though.
  • 27th of April: A Bug’s Life (DVD, 7/10). The only good Pixar movie I’ve ever seen (as opposed to totally awesome).
  • 8th of May: Star Trek (2009) (Pixar Main Theatre, 8/10).
  • 8th of May: Hot Fuzz (DVD, 8/10).
  • 22nd of May: Terminator: Salvation (Pixar Main Theatre, 6.5/10).
  • 8th of June: Up (Century 9 Westfield SF, 9.5/10). Sure, I’m bias now, but I’ve watched this movie so many damn times… and it’s still awesome.
  • 14th of June: The Hangover (Kabuki Theatre, 7.5/10).
  • 29th of June: Life of Brian (Pixar Main Theatre, 8.5/10).
  • 22nd of July: 500 Days of Summer (AMC Sony Metreon, 7/10).
  • 23rd of August: District 9 (AMC Sony Metreon, 8.5/10).
  • 27th of August: Enter the Dragon (DVD, 8.5/10). Yes, I’d ashamed to say that I’d never seen this movie before…
  • 28th of August: Inglourious Bastards (Pixar Main Theatre, 7.5/10).
  • 31st of August: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (Pixar Main Theatre, 9/10). Holy crap, perhaps the best Bond movie of them all. The action and cinematography were absolutely outstanding.
  • 7th of September: Supercop, a.k.a. Police Story III (DVD, 9/10). Damn, two of the best action movies I’ve ever seen in a row. I can’t believe Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh did all the stuntwork themselves. Amazing.
  • 9th of September: 9 (Pixar Main Theatre, 6.5/10). Visually brilliant and epic, but a complete letdown in the story and emotional department. Sigh, and the trailer looked so promising, too.

Books for 2008

  • Daniel Keyes (4 Feb): Flowers for Algernon (10/10).
  • Andrzej Sapkowski (8 Feb): The Last Wish (7/10). Now I just need to finish the game, which was the entire reason I bought the book in the first place…

Books

  • Patrick Süskind: On Love and Death (6/10, only because it was inappropriately expensive considering how short it was).
  • R.A. Salvatore: Promise of the Witch-King (7/10). Two of the more interesting characters in the Forgotten Realms—Jarlaxle and Artemis Entreri—make for quite the pair. Much more interesting than all those Drizzt novels, I think, but then again, I quite like moral ambiguity in what I encounter…
  • R.A. Salvatore (15 Feb): Servant of the Shard (7/10). Pulp fantasy, but Salvatore’s as good as the best fantasy authors. Plus, Jarlaxle and Entreri are just so much fun.
  • Neil Strauss (25 Feb): The Game (*8*/10).
  • Alex W. White (11 Mar): The Elements of Graphic Design (7/10).
  • Robert Rankin (19 Jun): The Toyminator (6.5/10). Good ol’ Rankin humour and fun.
  • Eric Sink (26 June): The Business of Software (7/10).

Music

  • Faithless: To All New Arrivals (6/10).
  • BT: This Binary Universe (8.5/10).
  • Bruce Springsteen: Dancing in the Dark (7.5/10).
  • Soft Cell: Tainted Love (7.5/10).
  • Airwave: The Promise I Made (6.5/10). (I’m an old fan of Lucia Holm, who did the vocals for this track. I’d never have bought it otherwise…)