Holy Bat-tastic Movie, Batman!!!

Batman (1966)

* * * 1/2

This little gem magically fell into my hands while on a recent excursion to Hamilton. Anyone who knows me, knows that of all of the superheroes, Batman is my hero of choice. I'm a big fan of the Tim Burton Batman films, am ok with Batman Forever and have a love-to-hate relationship with Batman & Robin. Chris Nolan's Batman Begins is also an amazing piece of work.

But I like to go old school. I've always loved the original Batman tv series and have always loved the original 1966 Batman movie. So, when I saw it in Dr Disk for $8 bucks I just had to buy it.

If you have never seen this movie, or the original Batman tv show, you're really missing out on an importand and hilarious piece of Bat-history. Its so corny, and cheesy, and over-the-top, but everything is so damn cool, and funny, and amazing.

Adam West delivers his lines like a two-bit William Shatner impersonator. Burt Ward plays Robin like he's a tiny little boy who doesn't know how to do anything other than slam his fist into the other one in a menacing manner, then get his ass whipped by thugs.

The real stars of Batman are the villains though. Burgess Meredith as the Penguin, Frank Gorshin as The Riddler, Cesar Romero as The Joker and Lee Meriwether as Catwoman totally steal the show. Every line is a pun, and delivered with such vigor that its almost as though the actors had no idea how corny it was going to turn out.

If you love Batman, and you haven't yet, you need to see this movie. Its where it all began.

And if nothing else... Batman '66 will always be better than Batman & Robin.

Honest to blog.

Juno

* * * *

I remember a while back I made a statement about how between Seth Rogen and Judd Apatow and Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg, they were making the funniest movies in Hollywood today. At the time I didn't think of it, but I should have also added Jason Reitman's name to that list. Between his last movie, the hilarious tongue-and-cheek Thank You For Smoking, and his newest, Juno, the man knows how to direct a great movie and pick great stories to put on screen.

Juno is the story of a teenager who gets pregnant and her decision to put the child up for adoption. Fairly simple. But there are so many amazing characters in this story. The writer, Diablo Cody, has truly written a smart, funny, intelligent and touching screenplay that brings to mind some of the more well-made "teen" movies some people my age have seen in the past (The Breakfast Club, Say Anything).

Big kudos to Ellen Page for making her Juno character so realistic that I swear I've seen this kid before, albeit not necessairily pregnant, standing in front of the local convenience store. Also, Michael Cera is up to his typical awkwardness that makes his character endearing and a little bit sweet. The entire cast really is fantastic. JK Simmons, as Juno's dad, provides some big laughs.

I was really looking forward to seeing this movie, and it didn't disappoint at all. I loved everything about it. My only wish is that if filmmakers are going to continue to make movies for teens about teens, that they take a look at things like Juno and think "You know what, kids are smart. And they can "get" smart movies. Let's make a smart movie," instead of thinking "Let's make something awful like Superhero Movie... More Spoofs! More! More! More!"

See this movie. It really is fantastic.

Pulling the wool over my eyes...

Black Sheep

* * * *

Every once in a while, a movie comes along that makes you love going to the movies again. It reminds you why you love watching them and it reminds you that the best movies are the ones where you have so much fun watching them, that you never want it to end.

Black Sheep is probably the most fun movie I've watched since I watched Team America: World Police and it also one of the best movies I've seen and reviewed in a long time.

Plot is simple. One man owns a sheep ranch, where he is trying to breed sheep who are born with partial human DNA in them. For one reason or another, the sheep become ridiculously violent and a veritable madhouse of murdering happens...

This movie reminded me of those awfully screwball cheesey 80s horror movies. It is almost hard to describe to people about what the movie is. It feels like the movie is trying to pay homage but also spoof those 80s horror flicks, while at the same time, take great pride in making fun of itself, while trying to remain serious.

That makes no sense at all.

Best parts of this movie where any time the sheep were on a murderous rampage. And any time you see a sheep biting someone. The puppet used for the chewing looks like the bastard offspring of Lamb Chop and Falcor from the Neverending Story.

This movie is so highly recommended that it isn't funny. But the movie is funny.

Its also the best movie to come out of Australia/New Zealand since a little known trilogy of films about a group of dwarves stumbling across a fictional land to drop a ring in a volcano... if you managed to get out and see those ones...